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Brass Skimmer

(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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Made by a blacksmith of brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, the pierced shallow bowl is fixed to the handle with three rivets. Note that the handle is flattened from the round and then curved to create a ring for hanging near the open hearth. Even though iron was less expensive than brass, brass tools were desirable for their long lives and for the reflective qualities that caught both the sunlight and the firelight.

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