Identification / information please - Victorian Silk Leaf Press

I was asked to sell the items shown in this photo on behalf of our
village Church Fund...

Before I ebay them, I wanted to know a little more about them...

The label tied to one of them says 'Victorian Silk Leaf Press' ....
There are three 'irons', with matching 'moulds'.
The irons seem to be made of er... Iron, and the 'moulds' are made of
what looks like brass.
Each item is about 8" long, and has a wooden handle.

They look as if they were intended to be heated, and then 'something'
was placed in the mould and the two metal pieces were pressed
together. The brass moulds have numbers stamped on the back the ivy
leaf is '180', the other two leaves are 328 and 152.

Does anybody know anything about these, how they were used and maybe
what sort of value they have ..? Couldn't find anything on web-search...

Adrian

Lee...

Adrian.... I think that they are a press/mould that was used to make
silk flowers/leaves.

Adrian Brentnall...

As in 'fake' flowers for decorative purposes ?
I didn't realise that such things had been around so long...

A few years ago, a friend of mine bought an item with an identical
handle and the moulds were parallel ridges that were used in Victorian
times to make ruffles on the lace collars and cuffs of clothing.
He was eventually able to identify the maker as a company in Montreal.
He found that these devices were made by a lot of companies in Quebec
and the New England States.
Interesting that one of them is a Maple Leaf, our national symbol/flag
I believe you have several textile museums in the UK. Why don't you
contact them?

Adrian Brentnall...

I could do that. Bit short of time at the moment as we're trying to
arrange a house move 'abroad' - and this is just one of the 'little
jobs' I've got to complete before we go !

Thanks for your comments
Adrian
Suffolk UK
======return email munged=================
take out the papers and the trash to reply

Lee in Toronto

Smorgass Bored...

That's what I meant.... LOL
Doug

Inviato da X-Privat.Org - Registrazione gratuita http://www.x-privat.org/join.php

Suffolk UK

Smorgass Bored...

These may have been used on wrought iron fences as seen around the old
southern cities (New Orleans, Charlotte,Atlanta,etc.)
Doug
(just a guess.... they look familiar...... Value= $100 EACH)

======return email munged=================
take out the papers and the trash to reply