A Turned and Carved Coquilla Nut Acorn Shape Nutmeg Grater c1800

Description

Heading : A Turned and Carved Coquilla Nut ‘Acorn’ Nutmeg Grater
Date : Late 18th/ Early 19th century
Period : George III/George IV
Origin : Great Britain
Decoration : Stylised Acorn form. internal steel grater and turned bone screw thread ring
Size :  Length 8.6cms
Condition : Some fine cracks to turned and polished section
Restoration : This has been polished
Weight : 45 grams

Comments:

Made both in Coquilla Nut ( from a Brazilian palm) and Mulberry wood such nutmeg graters were produced to be portable for the user to flavour both wine. spirits and food. For an in depth discussion oncoquilla nuts and images of similar graters See: Treen and other Wooden Bygones. Pinto Edward H pages 180 and 195. plates 181 and 205.

The tin grater has been hand pierced. By 1810 the machinery existed to pierce tin “grills to perfect uniformity”.