Because of my love for all things Medieval, I recently starting looking into cook wear. I have been playing around with clay and made a couple of cooking items, bowls, period pie dish and will be working on a pipkin soon but I wanted something more to use for cooking. I wondered what examples there might be out there for metal cook wear. Particularly, pots and cauldrons and I was able to find several examples in manuscripts and woodcuts. Below are just a few examples of what I found.
Küche mit Kachelofen, aus: Kuchenmaistrey, erstmals erschieben 1485 bei Peter Wagner. Abbildung aus der Ausgabe von Johannes Fischauer, Augsburg 1505
After some research, I decided I really wanted a metal cook pot/cauldron. As I am trying my best to move closer and closer to being more "period" with clothes, furniture, tents etc... I knew that this was just one of many items that would need to be researched and purchased. But promised myself before I purchased I would compare each item to pictures and extents. I happened to find these......
The cauldron in the center looks very similar to the cauldrons directly below it. Although the top is straighter rather then fluted out like the others. Below: I came across the following extents; one from a shipwreck site from Nauvo and the other is from the Museum of London.
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| Museum of London Acc. No. 7859 |
Nauvo. National Board of Antiquities
www.naba.fi/en/index
In the end, I did search many auction sites, auction houses, tag sales and recreated history cook wear sites, until I finally purchased the two cauldrons below. They were purchased from an auction site for fair prices. As for size, one holds over a gallon and the other a liter. And although these are cast iron and many cauldrons are copper alloy or bronze; they are great additions to help recreate a more period cooking experience in the kitchen. Now, on to find a long handle Medieval frying pan!
Hey! Just found your blog looking for hood embroidery. It's nice to find a fellow cookware geek. I despaired on finding available bronze cauldrons. I ended up casting my own.
ReplyDeleteBy long handled frying pan are you meaning a potnick or something more modern looking?
HI! Yes, i LOVE period cookware. I love your cast pots! What are the size? Do you sell them? They look great! I do want a potnick but I am also looking for a long handled skillet or frying pan such as this the one you pictured. I am having a hard time locating items in the US and that can be shipped to the US.
ReplyDeleteI originally had the idea of selling them, but found with the current cost of bronze, they are way more expensive than people wish to pay. I have made a couple in iron as well simply because of cost.
ReplyDeleteThe two I showed you are a little more than a quart, but I have also successfully cast a 1.5-2 gallon pot and am working on a copy of the Myddfai cauldron, 4.5 galllons.
I'm interested in a long handled skillet, but have found very little to go on re: extant sources.
If you are interested in talking more about these things, or about buying or trading, my email is caedmon (at) newhinba (dot) com
I'm deep into researching medieval cookware, particularly trying to prove or disprove the idea that medieval cast iron cookware was a thing. Obviously, I'm having no luck finding cast iron cookware til into the 17thC. If you've got any references that solidly identify medievla cast iron cookware, I'd be thankful if you'd share it.
ReplyDeleteI'm deep into researching medieval cookware, particularly trying to prove or disprove the idea that medieval cast iron cookware was a thing. Obviously, I'm having no luck finding cast iron cookware til into the 17thC. If you've got any references that solidly identify medievla cast iron cookware, I'd be thankful if you'd share it.
ReplyDeleteLooking for information on a 14 or 15th century 3 legged bronze cooking pot with handle and coat of arms my family brought from Germany. Who does appraisals on such things? Does anyone here have that knowledge?
ReplyDelete