Physical description

Culinary mould of incised beech, for stamping patterns on cakes. On one side is an infant, bound in swaddling clothes richly ornamented with bands of floral scrollwork. At one end is a red seal, and a black seal at the back.

Place of Origin

Germany (made)

Date

1670-1740 (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown

Materials and Techniques

Incised beech

Dimensions

Height: 22.2 cm, Width: 9.5 cm, Depth: 4.1 cm

Historical context note

Culinary moulds were carved in intaglio (the design carved into the block) in various hardwoods, usually boxwood or fruitwoods, to create shapes or surface patterns for gingerbread, sweetmeats or the sugar sculptures that were made to decorate grand banquets or desserts from the 16th century onwards. Gingerbread moulds might be fairly simple, for pieces sold at fairs, but some of the moulds for sugar sculptures could be very complicated, and provide shapes for various parts of a decoration, that were then joined with sugar paste into three-dimensional objects (temples, beds, animals). This mould is likely to have been made for gingerbread.

Descriptive line

Culinary mould, German, 1670-1740

Materials

Beech

Techniques

Incising

Categories

Woodwork

Collection

Furniture and Woodwork Collection