Trivet
PeriodCirca 1740-1760
Place MadeNew Jersey, U.S.A.
MediumWrought iron
Dimensions0.94 × 5.75 × 4.75 in. (2.4 × 14.6 × 12.1 cm)
ClassificationsFood Processing & Prep, Accessories
Credit LineGift of Mrs. William C. Riker, 1962
Object number1990.609
DescriptionA heart shaped trivet with a small incised dot pattern along the entire top surface. Three small peg feet attach to the underside of the heart, one at the bottom point and two near the top arches.Curatorial RemarksLocal blacksmiths provided far more to their communities than simply shoeing horses and making hinges. As skilled craftsmen, blacksmiths also fashioned a wide array of kitchen and household needs. The unknown blacksmith who made this simple trivet for a local housewife sometime in the early to mid 18th century, possibly in Monmouth County. Trivets were practical, utilitarian objects, used to raise a hot pan or bowl above a table's surface, preventing scorching. The blacksmith created an item that was not only useful but decorative. The charming heart shape, a popular motif throughout the 18th century, was highlighted by simple punched circular divots. The blacksmith even added small pad feet to the bottom of the three short peg legs on the underside of the trivet.
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