Press, Cheese

Object Name:

Press, Cheese

Object ID:

1959.056.01

Place of Origin:

Enfield, NH

Date:

1825-1875

Description:

Press, cheese, part of, from Shaker Village, Enfield, NH. One of two pieces. Heavy, sturdy. Flat-bottomed. Painted yellow. Wood, iron, and leather. Fine grain hardwood. Bent iron loop at top with flanges riveted to conical, turned wood section. Iron loop and flanges, 2.9" long. Conical section 1" diameter. Turned section extends down 7" to a turned shoulder that sits atop a rectangular body. Large portion of taper 2" in diameter, 4.6" from top wood surface. Item then tapers to small turned neck that sits on round, short base. Below that, rectangular section 8.5" high. Chamfered edges at bottom of this section. 1.5" slot on one side of this section. Rectangular hole, 3.2" high, 1.4" wide, 2.4" deep that passes through body. Wound leather belt inside hole that sits on shaft, 1.4" diameter. Shaft extends 1.2" with flat end and chamfered edge. On other side, shaft leads to narrow set of cogs, 0.35" wide. Larger diameter barrel 2.8" long, diameter of 2.6". Slightly domed end. Some light decorative grooves around barrel. Two handles that pass through barrel at right angles, and offset from each other, diameter 0.7"; one 12.3" long, other 12.5" long. Straight shafts with rounded ends and slight decorative grooves at each end. Paint on them mostly worn. Wooden pawl on side, 3.9" long, with flathead iron screw as its pivot point. Body yellow color with thin worn paint in some areas. Paint dirty in some areas. Leather belt nailed to shaft, 24.5" long, 1.2" wide. Black finish on one side of leather. Groove along both edges of belt. Iron hook, 1.8" long, 1.8" deep. Belt passes through narrow loop on one end of hook and turned over and sewn with two-inch overlap. Hook slightly flattened with slight upturn on its tapered tip. Paper label on bottom, self-adhesive, rectangular with green ink: "9/8/59 / Upton [c]". Another label on side of body, "59-56.1 / Robert W. Upton / part of Shaker / cheese press from / Enfield, N.H."

Material:

Wood
Iron
Leather

Dimensions:

H-19.3 W-12.5 D-2.9 inches Weight-40 oz

Provenance:

Said to be from Shaker Village, Enfield, NH.

Credit Line:

Gift of Robert W. Upton, Esquire

People:

Upton, Robert W. (1884-1972)

Subjects:

Cheese