Spit Jack
1670 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This trivet was probably made in the late 18th or early 19th century using the brass plate from the front of a much earlier spit jack. As a trivet it is unremarkable but as a spit jack it is a rare survivor.
Spit jacks, or spit engines, were fixed above the fireplace in the kitchen and turned the iron spits on which meat was roasted or pots were warmed. Clockwork and lever driven engines were in operation in England by the 16th century and replaced men, or more often boys, called turnspits. Most are in iron but some brass examples survive from the 17th century including this example decorated with a figure of Atlas, signed TD and dated 1670.
Spit jacks, or spit engines, were fixed above the fireplace in the kitchen and turned the iron spits on which meat was roasted or pots were warmed. Clockwork and lever driven engines were in operation in England by the 16th century and replaced men, or more often boys, called turnspits. Most are in iron but some brass examples survive from the 17th century including this example decorated with a figure of Atlas, signed TD and dated 1670.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Brass, iron, cast, pierced and forged |
| Brief description | Brass fronted spit jack with iron and wood mechanism, signed TD, England, dated 1670 |
| Physical description | Brass spit jack pierced and decorated with ionic columns between which is a globe supported by Atlas. On top are pomegranates and scrolls. Part of the mechanism survives including the winding barrel, cog wheel and worm spindle. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Lt. Col. G. B. Croft-Lyons Bequest |
| Object history | This spit jack was formerly in a house in Filby in Norfolk. The brass front plate was displayed vertically above the fireplace in the kitchen to conceal the pulleys and cracks used to roast meat and turn pots. It came to the Museum as part of the Croft-Lyons Bequest in 1926. In 1984 it was stolen from the Museum and was returned in 1988. |
| Historical context | Spit jacks, or spit engines, were fixed above the fireplace in the kitchen and turned the iron spits on which meat was roasted or pots were warmed. Clockwork and lever driven engines were in operation in England by the 16th century and replaced men, or more often boys, called turnspits. Most are in iron but some brass examples survive from the 17th century including this example decorated with a figure of Atlas, signed TD and dated 1670. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This trivet was probably made in the late 18th or early 19th century using the brass plate from the front of a much earlier spit jack. As a trivet it is unremarkable but as a spit jack it is a rare survivor. Spit jacks, or spit engines, were fixed above the fireplace in the kitchen and turned the iron spits on which meat was roasted or pots were warmed. Clockwork and lever driven engines were in operation in England by the 16th century and replaced men, or more often boys, called turnspits. Most are in iron but some brass examples survive from the 17th century including this example decorated with a figure of Atlas, signed TD and dated 1670. |
| Associated object | 715-1892 (Source) |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.957-1926 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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