Mid 19th Century Victorian Brass Milk Skimmer With Duke of Devonshire’s Coat of Arms, Pieced Brass With Copper Rivets

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This ornate Victorian brass Milk Skimmer while very functional, I doubt ever saw any active duty skimming milk. A truly … Read more This ornate Victorian brass Milk Skimmer while very functional, I doubt ever saw any active duty skimming milk. A truly spectacular piece, we’ve never seen anything like it in over 40 years of collecting. The coat of arms with its three stags in a crowned shield topped by a snake is the family crest of the Duke of Devonshire! A master craftsman was commissioned to design this bespoke piece and it has served as a decorative item item ever since. It is in pristine condition, and has been lovingly cared for almost two hundred years. We are proud to be its current custodian and have great fun stumping people with our What In the World Is It? Challenge!

A milk skimmer is a kitchen utensil designed for the purpose of separating the cream or fat layer from milk. The basic principle involves separating the lighter cream from the denser milk through gravity.

This is how it works: milk is first collect in a container in allowed to sit undisturbed for a certain period of time, typically overnight. During this time cream naturally rises to the top due to its lower density compared to milk. The milk skimmer is used to carefully move the cream layer from the top of the milk by gently scraping or scooping off the cream layer from the surface of the milk - being careful not to disturb the milk beneath. The collected cream is used making butter, cream-based desserts, or adding to coffee or tea. The remaining skim milk can be used for other dairy products like cheese, yogurt, or simply consume to skim milk.

While most modern dairy farms often use mechanical separators and centrifuges to officially separate cream from milk on a large scale. Traditional methods using manual milk scammers are still used in smaller scale and artisanal dairy operations.

We discovered this lovely piece decades ago when our family was still living in London. It has been part of our personal collection ever since. While designed for a purpose, this fabulous object looks fantastic, hanging by a fireplace, as a statement piece in the kitchen or dressing up an narrow wall such as you see here. The lovely pierced brass skimmer is fixed to the ornate handle with hand, tooled copper rivets. The Devonshire coat of arms is very detailed and accurately portrayed, down to the snake coiled at the top!
A true statement piece that goes with every decor! See less