Item Name	Butter Press with Carved Bird Motif	Image1 Image2
Owner(s)	Eby, William K.
Category	Artifacts
Year	Early: 1800 - Late: 1900
Description	A small wooden butterpress with a bird motif and decorative edge. The bird has distinct features - an eye, tail feathers, and decorative wavy lines on the body. The border is formed by incised lines chip carving. The wood is very smooth and shiny indicating that the butterpress was well used. There are two incised lines on the back which are partly worn.
Maker\Attribution	Attributed to William K. Eby
Collection	Joseph Schneider Haus Museum Contact : 466 Queen St. S. Kitchener 519-742-7752 www.region.waterloo.on.ca
Accession No.	1984.028.286
Curatorial Comments	Hand-carved butter prints from Germanic Ontario are relatively uncommon, particularly when compared to the number made in Pennsylvania. Pressing a design onto butter for special occasions and honoured guests was a common practice in many 19th-century households. Prior to the manufacture of commercial moulds, butter prints were carved in a wide range of decorative forms. This shield-like decoration is reminiscent of an American design motif. Chip carving is a manner of carving in which a knife, chisel or other sharp instrument is used to chip out gouges or indentations from an edge or surface.

Fraktur design based on Family Register by Jacob Shoemacher in Joseph Schneider Bible, 1821.