Cheese strainer

1800-1850

Place madeUnited States, North America

PossiblyPennsylvania

Tin, iron

Overall: 7 x 8 x 8 in. ( 17.8 x 20.3 x 20.3 cm )

Purchased from Elie Nadelman, 1937

INV.14876

When viewed in profile, this cheese strainer looks like a rather ordinary kitchen tool. Its interior however, reveals an intricately pierced design of six concentric circles that echo the container's lobes. Enclosed within the circle is a roundel with the initials "VA" -or “AV" when rendered in the strained cheese- which likely refer to the implement's owner and user. Pierced tin lent itself to cheese making, as the holes allowed for drainage while the solidified cheese retained the shape and pierced design of the mold. A recipe for “old Virginia cream cheese” instructed cooks to pour their thickened, drained cream "into a large heart-shaped tin mould to press” and further directed that the bottom of the mold "be pierced with round holes and . . . stand on little feet so that the cheese may drain while pressing."

MarkingsPunched on base: "V A"

ProvenanceThe Folk Art Collection of Elie and Viola Nadelman, Riverdale, NY

ClassificationsBASE METALS

DescriptionSheet iron cheese strainer with two attached handles and three feet, shaped in flower form and decorated with regular pattern of punched holes and punched initials on bottom.Published ReferencesMargaret K. Hofer and Roberta J.M. Olson, Making It Modern: The Folk Art Collection of Elie and Viola Nadelman (New York: New-York Historical Society in association with D Giles Limited, 2015), cat. no. 69, 280-283.

Object NameCheese strainer