Object number
51/1200
Description
This is a steel cheese sampler for obtaining a section from a large cheese to test its quality. It dates from the eighteenth century.
Physical description
1 cheese sampler: metal (steel); good conditionThe hammer head and claw may have helped in removing and replacing the cheese mould follower.
Label Text
Cheese sampler. The long, trough-like blade of this cheese sampler would have been used to extract a section of a large cheese to taste it. Sampling was an essential part of the cheese ripening process, particularly before refrigeration when conditions were less controlled. Cheddar cheese can be ripened for as little as 6 months and as long as 18 months, so frequent testing would have been crucial to ensure the desired maturity. Dating from the 18th century, this sampler was used in Kensington and Chelsea.
Archival history
MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'This is a very fine example of a steel cheese scoop. The long blade shaped like a trough was used for obtaining a section of a large cheese to test its quality. The handle has a hammer head at one end a claw at the other. The scoop is 5.25 inches long.', Victoria & Albert Museum No. M347, 1917.
Production date
1700-01-01 - 1799-12-31
Production period
Eighteenth century
Object name
Material
Associated subject
External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\35 series negatives\Scans\35_666.tif - High resolution image
