I Bought It But What Is It? - Union Porcelain Works, dates to 1877

[talesofthesevenseas]

In searching for info on sugar molds, I'm finding that almost all of them are 2-1/4" diameter holes. My plunger is 2-1/8" which does seem that it is exactly the right size for pressing sugar into your average sugar mold.

[waywardangler]

If it is a grinder, stomper, or a presser, I would think that UPW mark would have been worn off years ago, especially since the porcelain edges show wear, because it is right in the middle where all the action was.  I think it is something else.  Is the wood handle screwed on, glued on, or fastened how?

[talesofthesevenseas]

I don't know, but I'll post that info as soon as I get it in hand. Maybe there will be some other clues as to what it is when I get it.

[hosman321]

The shape looks like a candlestick phone mouthpiece. I'm not saying that a phone was related to it's use but I'm trying to think outside the box all together. Kind of an odd shape for a kitchen utensil.

[talesofthesevenseas]

If it is a grinder, stomper, or a presser, I would think that UPW mark would have been worn off years ago, especially since the porcelain edges show wear, because it is right in the middle where all the action was...

Would it make sense if it had been used in a sugar mold that we would see edge wear from bumping against the wooden sides of a sugar mold which are only 1/8" diameter difference (that gives us about 1/16" on each side of the porcelain) I'm guessing that the logo is painted beneath a clear glaze and would have pretty good protection (will know about this soon) and if only pressed against sugar dough as it is being compacted, I think that might result in edge wear but no significant bottom wear.

The shape of both the porcelain and wooden parts seem to indicate it was designed to exert downward pressure, but it must have been on something soft, against bumping hard sides. The shape of the head just doesn't jive to be used hammer style.

Boy this has been buggin' the heck out of me all day!

[waywardangler]

That fly is buggin' the heck out of me!  Where is the fly swatter?

[fancypants]

Got me stumped .

First thought it may be Pharma-related , but not so much now ... it does appear to be some sort of tamper , though ...

[KC]

I am leaning toward the sugar tamper/stomper one......


Get your frustrations out swatting this wayward!!!!

http://www.dailyhaha.com/_flash/flies.htm

[talesofthesevenseas]

LOL love the fly game! (But I'm really bad at it!) I'm leaning the same way as KC, but will keep an eye out and hope that sooner or later one or the other of us will come across one and have an "Ah-HA!!" moment. I emailed the Brooklyn Museum today hoping that the curator of their UPW collection could offer some suggestions.

[cogar]

The wifey just told me:

"You dummies don't know how to find anything. It's a ... beetle, ..... circa 1860's".

In other words, it is a potato pounder or masher. 

On page 49 of "300 Years of Kitchen Collectibles"- by Linda Cambell Franklin (C-1991), she describes it as:

"Fancy turned handle has a white ceramic "porcelain" (probably ironstone) head. It's from the 1860s and loooks like a pestle for an ironstone mortar."

[waywardangler]

Ah-Ha!

Nice fly game KC, but I kill more with a real fly swatter than I did in that game!

[talesofthesevenseas]

Cogar is there a photo with the book description? If so does it look like mine? I've seen the all-wood potato mashers and they are quite a bit different in shape.

[talesofthesevenseas]

This is how most of the potato mashers I've seen look:



Although there are other styles, here is a collection of European potato mashers. That English "mushroom" style one is kind of close, but the head on mine is only 2-1/8" across. I'm not finding anything with porcelain, although as you say maybe this is a "fancy" version?

[talesofthesevenseas]

I'm trying potato beetle, potato masher... nothing is coming up with ceramic or porcelain.

[waywardangler]

I had the same results, Tales, but decided not to post after I looked at the length of yours.  I came up with many pestles that had wood handles and porcelain heads but thought they should be shorter than 9+".  A masher would be that long.  The convex head on yours would fit the concave bowl of the mortar.