Pie Crimper
ClassificationsFurnishings-Cookware-utensils-pie crimpers
Date19th Century
Made AtUnited States, North America
MediumSperm whale ivory and baleen
Dimensions7 1/2 × 2 × 3/4 in. (19.1 × 5.1 × 1.9 cm)
Credit LineGift of Dr. and Mrs. Burton W. Fink
Object number2011.25.58
DescriptionThis intricately carved pie crimper, made of Sperm whale ivory and wood during the late 19th century, was a tool used when making pies. It is carved in the shape of a horned mammal, perhaps an antelope. 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.
On View
Not on viewCollections
c. 1890
mid 20th Century
mid 20th Century
mid 20th Century
mid 20th Century
