Trammel

Art Historical Context

In the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, the *Trammel* stands as a humble yet evocative relic of 18th-century American domestic life. Crafted from iron by an unknown artisan, this 40-inch-high (101.6 cm) device was generously gifted by Mrs. Russell Sage in 1909. Far from a decorative flourish, a trammel was an essential hearth tool used in colonial homes to suspend cooking pots over an open fire, allowing adjustable height for simmering stews or boiling water. Forged by hand in the robust tradition of early American blacksmithing, the trammel's simple, functional design highlights t...