Object of the Month: Sugar Cutters
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For his final week on placement, our Baskerville student chose the Sugar Cutters as his object of the Month.
What does the sugar cutter look like?
It was made from steel and it has blades and a handle with a safety catch ,this was so no one was hurt when it was not being used. Some people would call it Sugar Nippers.
Where would you find the sugar cutter?
You would find it in a kitchen of a Tudor house.
What was it used for?
It was used to cut off lumps from a sugar loaf. Sugar was introduced to England in the 16th century, but it was not like sugar we know today. Sugar was a solid cone shape (sugar loaf) rather than the granulated sugar we use now, and it was brown not white.
Interesting facts
Sugar used to be a luxury, which only rich people would have. They thought sugar was healthy for them and ate it a lot, so their teeth would rot. They did not brush their teeth or have a dentist. This meant their teeth would fall out! Queen Elizabeth I loved sugar and would have sculptures shaped like swans made from it. The sculptures would be presented on a sugar plate, which she would also eat.
Student on placement from Baskerville school.