Hearth & Home - Butter Working - SNIKTAW ANTIQUES, LLC - Luan & Jerry Watkins

1-7944 Tiger Maple Butter Print

5-4341 Lollipop Tulip Stamp.

4-3212 Mini Stamp - 3 Acorns

2-5566 Swan.

8-3210 Mini - Single Acorn.

22-2080 Carved Eagles

9-3211 Mini Acorn and Flower.

12-4330 Shaped Tulip Stamp.

11-3209 Large Tulip Stamp

14-5186 Flower & Leaves.

13-5293 Mini Pineapple

3-3209 Six Sided Mold

17-4323 Stylized Pineapple

16-3208 Tulip & Leaf

Butter Prints, Stamps & Molds

Cows were brought to the United States in the mid-1600’s. Initially all the milk was used for food but as food became plentiful farmers began to use butter for bartering. Butter prints or “stamps” were carved by a farmer or a local carver and were used to identify the farmer and make the butter more appealing. The print was important to the bartering process since it identified a particular butter to the customer that preferred that farmer’s product. Additionally the decorative aspect of the print made butter more appealing thereby increasing it’s worth as a bartering tool.

The art of making butter prints was brought to America by the early colonists. Molds were completely hand carved until the lathe was introduced into America at which point the butter stamp became more prevalent. The base of the “stamp” was turned on a lathe and then the design carved on the “face” or print block. The designs depicted flowers, animals, hearts and other aspects of nature.

The early settlers were superstitious and found solace in many different symbols feeling they influenced his luck and livelihood. These symbols were often the subject for the design of the print block. Some of the more common symbols are: Tulip – happiness and wellbeing, Rose – symbolic of England, Thistle – symbolic of Ireland, Pineapple – hospitality, Sheaf of Wheat – abundance, good harvest, Strawberry – springtime, Circles – unity, Stars – spiritual struggle, Heart – love and affection, Fish – Christianity, Cow – source of butter, Swan – farm in the valley, Tree – life, Cross – faith, and Rooster – alertness.

6-3214 Wild Rose