Williamsburg Update #5
Josh Rachita, Historical Interpreter
*Josh is interning for the summer at Colonial Williamsburg.*
June 20, 2021
Hello
All,
I had a great week here at Colonial
Williamsburg! I got the trivet project well under way, and I am very pleased
with my progress. This week was of course Juneteenth, and it was neat to see
Williamsburg, along with the rest of the country, celebrate a very Texan
tradition. I also got to stop by the silversmith and tinsmith shop on my day
off. I really enjoyed the silver shop because silver is very similar to iron in
the manner that it is manipulated.
Last week when I went to Archeology
and Collections, I started to think about a social media post I had seen
several years ago. In 1995 Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, was captured by a
photographer, smashing a 2000-year-old vase from the Han dynasty. The purpose of
the act was to question how society values things from the past. While I would
never condone destroying a piece of history, I do understand Weiwei’s ideas. A
poorly made vase 2000 years ago is still a poorly made vase today. So, what
gives things value if it’s not just age?
While in Archeology, I kept hearing
one word from everyone I interacted with “context”. The archeologists use clues
when digging to understand where they are in the timeline. An aluminum can may
give us a hint that we are in the context of the 20th or 21st
century. Digging deeper may reveal an item that can be specifically dated, and
thus, everything around it becomes informed because of its context. These items
help answer questions about who was here and what they were doing. Often times,
the paper record is found to be supported by the archeological evidence that is
found. These items can give us clues about the specific location, not just a
generalization about the period or region. A good example of this is the
Anderson cabinets. The paper record shows that the shop focused heavily on
military items and repair during the Revolutionary War. Pieces like gun parts,
sword guards, and entrenching tools were all found at the site. Now as an
interpreter, I can tell the public about those items firsthand. Having read
about and seen these artifacts in person now has strengthened my interpretation
and hopefully adds to the guests’ experience.
Collections is a different story.
For the most part, Collections contains very well-preserved pieces which aren’t
necessarily from Williamsburg. The purpose of these are to help the craftsmen,
architectural historians, designers, and other interpreters make informed
decisions on reproducing what 18th century life was like. The value
in these objects is that they are so well preserved we can gain an
understanding into how things were used and exactly what they looked like.
While working on the trivet, I am practicing the process of analyzing one of
these pieces and using them to create an accurate reproduction. Historic trades
give so much value to a museum’s mission. Unlocking how items were made can
tell us so much about the people and societies that interacted with these
objects. We can infer their values on work, material culture, economics,
differences in classes, etc. There is so much to learn about these processes
that have been largely lost.
The trivet I’m making is peculiar
enough that we think it could be a custom piece. It immediately caught my eye
as being something that I haven’t seen before. It is very neat to think that I could possibly be one of only two smiths that have ever made this shape. It
makes me wonder if the smith previous to me thought about the lifespan of his
work. I’m sure he would find it amusing that a smith 250 years later is
studying his work so closely that he’s measuring to a 64th of an
inch to get it just right.
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The photos this week are a picture
of the original trivet, my recent attempt at the reproduction, and a photo of
me working on the ring of the trivet.
Very nice! It looks like you needed to rivet on the 2 front legs on the trivet and probably the 3rd leg on the handle as well, although that was ground down in order to make a smooth surface I guess.
ReplyDeleteDid you forge Weld the ring together along with the handle all at the same time? Great work!
what do you think this trivet was used for? I think it was probably a serving trivet. I think it was used to carry a pot or pan from the stove or hearth to the table.
The pot or pan sat atop the trivet, one hand held the lid of the pot up above, and the other hand held the handle and supported the weight of the whole thing until it got to the table where it was simply set and left.
Did the original maker do anything to deal with the uneven surface created by riveting the 2 front legs but grinding off the head of the rivet on the back leg?
Hi Andrew,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your interest and questions about the trivet! You are right about the construction of the legs. All three were riveted but the back leg was countersunk and filed flat which makes the rivet almost completely disappear. The whole trivet is made from 5 parts, including the legs. The ring is welded onto the handle. Forge welding is a very tricky process, and this was one of my more challenging welds I've attempted. The handle and the section inside the ring are one piece. On the original there were slight seams that remained from the original welds that gave me insight into how it was done originally. Same with the flush rivet, which had a faint outline in the handle. The heads of the raised rivets look very similar to nail heads which is very peculiar, and I have not seen before.
As for use, there are many uses for trivets seen in the period. The one you described is very common, especially among trivets with handles. You also see these trivets used for holding hot irons while ironing. The brief description of the original states that it is a "cooking trivet." Cooking trivets often have fire damage, or areas that look worn and thinned, near the legs. The original trivet showed extensive fire damage towards the front end and legs which I would assume is to why it was labeled for cooking. As to which use it served it is hard to tell for sure but could have been used for any or all three of these uses.
Great observation about the uneven surface due to the rivets. On the original, the rivets look well-worn which I assume is from heavy use with something being set on it continuously. I've used it a couple times for heating up coffee and my mug and it does seem to pose a problem or at least an annoyance for smaller vessels for that reason. It doesn't appear that the original maker did anything to try and fix this problem.
-Josh