Holt Antiques at East Raynham
A Mid-19th-Century Scandinavian Carved Treen Laundry Bat Love Token, Dated 1849
A Mid-19th-Century Scandinavian Carved Treen Laundry Bat Love Token, Dated 1849
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This handsome example of Scandinavian folk art is a laundry bat carved as a courting gift. It is dated 1849 and carries the name of its intended recipient.
The long blade rises to an elongated, turned and shaped handle. One face is fluted for its practical work of beating linen at the washing place. The reverse is given over to the carver’s affection: a heart, the recipient’s name, the date 1849 and stylised foliage, all within a crisp chip-carved border. As is often the case, the decoration is set inverted in relation to the handle.
Such bats belong to the rich Scandinavian tradition of the love token. A young man would carve a useful household object such as a laundry bat, mangle board, distaff or spoon, and present it to the woman he hoped to marry. The care lavished on the decoration was a measure of his intentions. The gift that combined utility with devotion was prized and preserved, and the finest were seldom used at all.
Our bat has a deep, glossy patina built up through long handling. It is an evocative survival of rural courtship and domestic life in the mid-nineteenth century, and a striking piece of sculptural treen for the wall, kitchen or study.
Provenance: Probably Sweden. 19th century.
Material: Carved hardwood, probably birch.
Condition: Good, with a well-developed patina. There is wear, rubbing, and small knocks consistent with age and use, notably to the edges and the fluted face. The carved decoration remains legible. Please refer to the images. A further condition report is available on request.
Dimensions: Length 24 in (61 cm); width 5 in (12.7 cm); depth 1½ in (3.8 cm)
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