Pie Crimper

ClassificationsFurnishings-Cookware-utensils-pie crimpers

Datec. 1890

Made AtUnited States, North America

MediumSperm whale ivory and wood

DimensionsIncluding attached base: 4 5/8 × 3 1/2 × 6 in. (11.7 × 8.9 × 15.2 cm)

Credit LineGift of Dr. and Mrs. Burton W. Fink

Object number2011.25.15

DescriptionThis intricately carved bird-shaped pie crimper, made of Sperm whale ivory and wood during the late 19th century, was a tool used when making pies. Crimpers allowed bakers to seal and secure the filling within the lower and upper layers of pie dough. More uniquely shaped crimpers were used to distinguish specific pie varietals.

Wheeled-pie crimpers were colloquially referred to as a jaggers by the carvers who once made them. New England’s whaling population found carving crimpers to be an excellent way to pass time. Sometimes, the incentive for making these crimpers was purely monetary. However, crimpers were carved as a token of affection and fidelity for sweethearts back home, considering whalers often left their wives for extended periods of time. These objects therefore could serve a practical, monetary, and sentimental function.

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