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Summer 2013-Spring 2014: Egg Beater

/ Collections - Mystery Object

Egg Beater. Wedgwood, about 1800. Lead-glazed earthenware, creamware. Collection of the Art Fund, Inc. at the Birmingham Museum of Art; The Buten Wedgwood Collection, gift through the Wedgwood Society of New York, AFI451.2008a-b.
Egg Beater. Wedgwood, about 1800. Lead-glazed earthenware, creamware. Collection of the Art Fund, Inc. at the Birmingham Museum of Art; The Buten Wedgwood Collection, gift through the Wedgwood Society of New York, AFI451.2008a-b.

Hungry?  In the mood for an omelet? Eighteenth-century cooks used small, circular, covered vessels like these examples–made by Wedgwood of creamware, a kind of low-fired earthenware ceramic–to beat an egg. A series of spikes, or prongs, pointed toward the center line the inner wall. A cook broke an egg into the main vessel, covered it, and shook.

Art in use

Here is an 18th-century recipe for your omelet:

To make an Omelette. Put a quarter of a pound of butter into a frying pan. Break six eggs and beat them a little, strain them through a hair sieve. Put them in when your butter is hot and strew in a little shred parsley and boiled ham scraped fine with nutmeg, pepper and salt…

—From The Experienced English Housekeeper: For the Use and Ease of Ladies, House-Keepers, Cooks, &c.… by Elizabeth Raffald (first published 1769)

Comments from the gallery

Question: “How would you use an object like this in your life?”
  • “To hear faraway sounds.”
  • “To catch fish.”
  • “As a sugar container – spikes help to break up lumps with room in the center for a small sugar spoon.”
  • “To sift through spices that might get stuck together.”
  • “To grind coffee beans.”
  • “As art.”
  • “To hold loose tea leaves.”
  • “To keep kids’ hands out of the cookie jar.”
  • “As a lemon squeezer.”
  • “To protect my Oreos.”
  • “To mix something.”
  • “As a fairy torture device.”
  • “To clean my glass eye!”
  • “To strike fear in the hearts of my enemies.”
  • “As a walnut crusher.”
  • “As a bug catcher.”
  • “As a musical instrument. I’d put beads in it, and shake firmly.”
  • “To hide money in.”
  • “As a trap for pests/rodents.”
  • “Cookie or candy jar if I didn’t want to share.”
  • “To store cotton balls.”
  • “As a home for my pet bug.”
  • “As a cream separator.”
  • “To keep notes and trinkets.”
  • “To julienne vegetables.”
  • “As a jewelry safe.”
  • “To hide precious things that I don’t want anyone to touch.”
  • “To trick my enemies.”
  • “As a Halloween decoration.”
Question: “What are the first three words that come to mind when you look at this object?”
  • “Wow – that’s – cool”
  • “Sand – worm – dentures”
  • “Utility – teeth – old”
  • “Incredible – edible – egg”
  • “Dagger – devour – drum”
  • “I – am – scared”
  • “Grinder – container – unique”
  • “Sharp – dangerous – interesting”
  • “A – musical – instrument”
  • “When – is – dinner”
  • “It – is – beautiful”
  • “Tuna – fish – can”
  • “Sharp – finger – trap”
  • “Awesome – weird – cool”
  • “Sharp – pointy – scary”
  • “Teeth – scary – bad”
  • “Lip – stick – holder”
  • “Old – food – processor”
  • “Tooth – pick – separater”
  • “Drum – milkshakes – blender”
  • “Green – spikes – container”
  • “Grinder – green – spikes”
  • “Fruit – juicer – yum!”
  • “Shaker – grinder -drum”
  • “A – top – hat”
  • “Ouch – shaker – trap”
  • “Sharp – teeth – ouch”
  • “Death – blades – torture”

And one more insightful comment from Abigail, a gallery visitor: “I could see this as somebody’s heart. It is hard to get to, but once you get it, it is amazing!”