vintage Butter Stamp Pineapple marked Apr 17 1866

In the 18th and 19th centuries, dairy farmers used prints and molds to decorate the butter they churned up each day. The State Museum of Pennsylvania, which knows quite a bit about butter thanks to the Amish, Mennonite, and Pennsylvania Dutch and German farming communities in the state, says that butter molds served an important purpose.
At that time, butter and eggs were practically a form of currency for farmers, who could use them to barter for store-bought groceries, clothing, and other household goods. Farmers who prided themselves on making high quality products wanted to mark their wares as their own and make sure they were properly compensated for their dairy-making skills. Butter molds, usually carved wooden pieces, allowed them to give their butter a unique trademark that would let consumers know they were getting the good stuff. Fresh butter was smooshed (not the technical term) into a carved wooden box or rounded dome and pressed with a decorative stamp resulting in beautiful butter. That marking process became even more important when butter was sold at local markets, instead of directly from the farmer. Consumers learned which butter they liked and thanks to the unique design, could easily pick it out on the store shelves.A gorgeous example of hand carved or primitive wood workings.*southernliving.com

This beautiful example of a butter stamp or butter mold is in wonderful condition, the top is stamped PAT APR 17, 1866 . The wood is beautifully dark with a nice grain. The stamp itself is a pineapple motif, which for years has been the symbol of Welcome. There is some wear at the edge as shown in photos.

measures 7" tall x 4 3/4" diameter, 4 1/4" tall handle, 3 1/2" diameter stamp


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