This butter cooler was used in households to prevent butter from melting in the warmer weather. Ice would have been used in the butter container. The top of the container is domed, indicating the shape of the butter at that time (late 19th century). This butter cooler would have been a costly item and would have graced the dining table of a family that had considerable means. It would have been used on a dining table even after the invention of refrigeration in the 1880s as the eating rooms would have had little or no cooling mechanisms in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This butter cooler has no known local provenance but it is a very attractive item and is retained as a good example of a household item no longer in use. It will be very useful for display.This is a silver butter cooler with a circular base with an ornamented edge. The base has a stem holding two highly ornamented arms branching out from the sides. These arms hold an oval container which has a chased silver base and an overhanging chased silver top. Inside the container is the space to hold ice or cold water. On top of the inside of the container sits a small round lid which holds the butter and the ice. The lid has several small holes for the ice water to drain underneath. The base of this lid is impressed with moulded fruit and leaves. The oval container has an over-arching handle attached. This is highly ornamented in fretwork. The sides of the container have two projecting pieces for holding the butter cooler and two other smaller projecting pieces with chains attached for hanging the object. One of these pieces has an oval holder for turning the hinged top of the container to close the container. This top has a chased silver patterning on its top. When the lid is closed the container adapts to a globe or egg shape.‘Made and Guaranteed by Meriden B. Company 5085 U.S.A. household items, history of warrnambool, silver butter cooler