Butter Print Stamp ‘Swan’

Late Victorian

Circa late 19th to early 20th century | England

A large antique wooden butter stamp of a highly coveted swan circa late nineteenth to early twentieth century. In Victorian times butter stamps were used to decorate butter once it had been churned and to identify the farmer once it was taken to market (see The Gen). This stamp would make a wonderful addition to any butter print collection.

DIMENSIONS: Diameter of stamp face 9.2 cm, Height 13.5 cm.

CONDITION: In very good condition, wear consistent with an antique age and use. There are some signs of treated old woodworm and some cracks, but these do not detract at all from the stamp.

REFERENCES: For examples of similar antique butter stamps, see The Crown Series Collector’s Companion, Ken Arnold, Crown Castleton Publishers, 1995, pp 109–110. See also antique butter stamps at the Powerhouse Museum collection, Object No. K1402 and Object No. K1135  and Object No. 85/2107-4.

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THE GEN

“Farm families who relied on butter making for income branded their product with a custom-made stamp print, roller marker, or decorative mold that embossed the butter with a trademark design. Many a dairymaid took pride in “patting up” the butter into different shapes, known as prints, then stamping each with a design. Sandeep had a vast collection of these, including a delicate carved mold made in sections like a tiny folding screen with hinges; this allowed a square of butter to be embossed on all sides.

In summer, European dairywomen often wrapped their stamped market butter in green leaves, generally those of the garden orache plant. Provincially called butter leaves, the plant was sown annually in the garden just for the purpose of enveloping and protecting butter. Its fine-textured leaves were sufficiently large and had a pale green color that flattered the butter. If not available, grapevine and cabbage leaves were also used. Apart from lending eye appeal, the leaves allowed the butter maker to easily move her prints into and out of the market basket without leaving fingerprints.” (Butter, A Rich History, Elaine Khosrova, Alogonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2016, p. 97)

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