DESCRIPTION: This is a colonial open hearth wrought iron and heavy sheet metal frying pan is from Virginia circa 1700s. Generally most fireplace tools and cookware were similar to those in England going back to Tudor Times 1600’s and prior. Pot, pans, and skillets began to be manufactured in the colonies in 1725. The earliest frying pans were of iron and heavy sheet metal with extended long handles, with a large hole at the tip of the handle so it could be hung when not in use. The short handled frying pan came into being much later when stoves became more common. This early massive frying pan would have been used either on a plantation or in a tavern or public house. Unlike skillets with their own tripod legs, this massive frying pan would have sat on a large grill or trivet above glowing coals in the open hearth. The wrought iron frying pan is massive in size and has a long handle with a large hole for hanging on one end. The other end of the handle forms into a large bracket that attaches to the frying pan by five large rivets. The handle was stamped “119” (see photos) by the blacksmith to identify the frying pan. The sides of the plantation frying pan are 3 inches in depth for holding large amounts of cooking fat or oils and food. The center of the frying pan has a tiny old early repair (see photos). The plantation frying pan lays flat upon surface and the inside of the pan shows centuries of cooking in an open hearth. Massive wrought iron frying pans such as this can be seen proudly hung in the colonial kitchens of Mount Vernon, Raleigh Tavern in Williamsburg, and the Shelburne Museum in New England. The colonial massive frying pan is strong and heavy in weight and could still be used today. MEASUREMENTS: 45 inches long including handle, 20 inches wide, and 60 inches round in circumference.

Wrought iron frying is excellent condition with an age appropriate patina.