RARE 1870's BENT WOOD NO. "0" NINE GALLON BUTTER CHURN PROTOTYPE. THIS IS A RARE 1880's "BENT WOOD" BUTTER CHURN PROTOTYPE, MADE BY THE M. BROWN & COMPANY OF WAKAKONETA, OHIO. THE BENT WOOD CHURN WAS PATENTED IN 1877, WHAT WAS INTERESTING ABOUT THE PATENT WAS IT WAS FOR A DESIGN THAT WAS NEW TO THE INDUSTRY. A NEW WAY OF FORMING THE CHURN BOX, WITH ONLY THREE PIECES OF WOOD, THE TWO ENDS AND A CENTER SECTION OF WOOD, BENT INTO THE SHAPE OF THE LETTER "U". THE LEGS ON EACH OF THE CHURN ARE ALSO MADE FROM A SINGLE PIECE OF WOOD, BENT INTO A UPSIDE U SHAPE. TO SAY THAT THE BENT WOOD CHURN IS AMOUNG THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CREATED CHURNS IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT, WITH EXAMPLES SELLING FOR UPWARDS OF A THOUSAND DOLLARS AND MORE FOR RARER EXAMPLES.
THE CHURNS CAME IN 3, 4, 6, 9 AND 12 GALLON SIZES. THESE SIZES WERE THE ACTUAL CAPACITY OF THE CREAM THAT COULD GO WITHIN IT. THERE IS SOMETHING STRANGE ABOUT THE 9 GALLON THAT HISTORY HAS LEFT UNEXPLAINED. THE CHURNS WERE ADVERTISED BY THEIR SIZES, THE 3 GALLON WAS CALLED A NO. 3 AND SO ON, BUT THE 9 GALLON WAS CALLED THE NO. "0"??? I'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO FIND OUT THE REASON WHY BUT THE 9 GALLON ORIGINALLY SOLD FOR $13.50, WHICH WAS NO SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THE 1870's.
THIS EXAMPLE IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN A "ADVERTISING MERCANTILE DISPLAY" OR "PROTOTYPE" FOR THE COMPANY AS ITS SIDES HAVE BEEN PEGGED UP TO HOLD, SOMETHING OTHER THEN CREAM, ALTHOUGH THAT REASON IS LOST TO HISTORY. APPARENTLY, THE COMPANY MADE A FEW VARIATIONS OF THESE PROTOTYPES, ATHOUGH WHETHER THEY WERE SOLELY FOR ADVERTISING OR SIMPLY DESIGN VARIATIONS IS UNCERTAIN. ORIGINALLY, THIS CHURN WAS FILLED WITH RUBBER BANDS, SO I ASSUME THAT IS WHAT THE MERCANTILE USED IT FOR. THERE IS OTHER EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THAT THIS WAS MADE AS A PROTOTYPE, THE MAJOR ONE BEING THE PLACEMENT OF THE LID KNOB, WHICH ON EVERY OTHER EXAMPLE, IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LID. HOWEVER, ON THIS ONE IT IS ON THE FRONT EDGE. IT ALSO IS NOT PUT TOGETHER LIKE THE BENT CHURNS THAT WERE OFFERED FOR SALE TO THE PUBLIC & MAY BE ONE OF A KIND, HOWEVER THIS WAS NOT MEANT TO BE A WORKING CHURN. WHAT IS THERE IS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE, MAKING IT EVEN MORE DESIRABLE, ALONG WITH ITS RARITY, MAKES THIS A UNIQUE PIECE TO OWN.
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