Tea strainer. The spring loaded handle opens the two perforated bowls into which tea is placed for infusion in a cup. The pre-cursor to tea bags.Metal tea strainer. Spring loaded handle with perforated bowls to hold tea.tea strainers

Take a stroll through the average beverage aisle in your supermarket, and you might get the impression that tea has always come in small boxes with disposable tea bags. But before those easy to come by boxes, there was the rich and intriguing history of the tea strainer, a beautiful little tool that has helped our ancestors enjoy loose leaf tea for hundreds of years. Enjoying loose-leaf tea, and becoming familiar with this tool, can help spark an appreciation for your tea strainer and infuser collection, or simply inspire you to grow one. Documentation of tea tools such as the tea strainer appear in ancient history, the earliest models were likely made of bamboo, and later evolved into stainless steel, sterling silver, china, porcelain, silicon, and linen. During the Tang Dynasty in China, a small book called “Classic of Tea” was written describing tea utensils, and they were made to help Buddhist monks keep living things (such as small bugs) out of the drinking water. However, using a tea tool to keep run away tea leaves out of a cup did not become a cited use of the strainer until the 17th century when Dutch merchants made tea more readily available to those outside of the Chinese dynasty. British royals then increased the popularity of tea as their preferred beverage, and it was not long before a newfound fanaticism for tea in Great Britain spread to the American colonies, as did a growing demand for products that could separate loose tea leaves from liquid with ease and flair. Why did people use a strainer to separate out tea leaves in Great Britain and not in China? While the method of serving tea from a teapot with the tea loose in the pot was a practice used in both countries, the reason China may not have required a tool to remove leaves from their cup likely had to do with the types of tea leaves they were producing. The British owned tea plantations, in countries such as India, produced finer black tea leaves that did not require as much space to expand inside of a tea pot, where as the leaves prepared on the Chinese plantations would expand far more in the pot, and were therefore less likely to land or be bothersome inside a tea cup. This common approach to serving tea with smaller tea leaves required a solution to avoid ending up with a cup, and mouth, full of tea leaves. The obvious solution was a strainer basket. In the Victorian era, tea strainer baskets, similar to those still used in tea parlors today, were made to sit on top of the cup to capture the leaves when pouring the tea from a tea pot into the individual cups. Another solution was a tea-removing device called a mote spoon. Mote spoons act as search and rescue spoons to remove tea leaves from individual teacups. The tea would be brewed loose in the teapot, so any tea that ended up in the cup could be removed with a long handled spoon with holes in the spoon to remove rogue tea leaves and keep the steeped water in the cup. The handle also helped keep the teapot spout free of leaves and could help unclog any leaves trapped when pouring. Stainless steel tea strainers and tea infusers gained popularity in the late 19th century. Big name tea strainer producers, such as Tiffany and Gorham, could use fine silver to create quality, heavy, and sturdy strainers, for those who could afford it. There were many varieties of strainers at that time, but it was more likely that smaller designers who could not afford to mass-produce these quality strainers out of silver made them into unique shapes to attract consumers with lighter wallets. And borne was the tea strainer we are accustomed to today. Things took an unexpected turn for the tea strainer in the early 1900s when Thomas Sullivan, a tea merchant, shipped out tea samples in small silk bags. Customers did not realize that they were supposed to remove the tea from the bags, and instead boiled the tea, bag and all! The convenience of tossing out the leaves is obvious, and the popularity of tea bags is still seen today. Most premium bags of tea we are accustomed to today are frequently packaged loose for consumption, and when they are available in bags, the leaves are often crowded and do not have enough space to expand. While pyramid tea bags have become a more recent solution to this problem, due to the additional space at the top of the bag, enjoying a variety of quality tea is easier with a tea strainer in your arsenal. Besides, with the wide variety of strainers for your cup or pot in versatile materials such as mesh, silver, or a novelty silicone cartoon shape, loose tea can still reign supreme. Tea strainers sometimes do require more cleanup and measuring, but the experience and quality is always worth the effort. Besides, strainers also allow for mixing favorite tea blends together for an extra dose of delicious creativity! https://www.teamuse.com/article_170413.html The strainer provided the convenience of separating the tea leaves for disposal later.Metal strainer, bowl shaped, with mesh and twisted wire handle.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, strainer

Small funnel shaped brown Bakelite Peerman strainer.Peerman Strainer F/46 Patent Pendingtools, multipurpose, strainer

Fence strainers were used to tension the wire on farm fences.Fence strainerfence strainers, farm equipment

Fence strainers were used to tension the wire on farm fences. This strainer was used on the Partington property in Greensborough. Walkers Fence Strainers are advertised in the Tweed Daily (Murwillumbah, NSW) on Saturday 11 April 1914, page 1. A relic from Greensborough's rural past.Metal fence-wire strainer. Some rust.Stamped on side of item "WALKERS"fence strainers, partington family, farm equipment

A tea strainer is a type of strainer that is placed over or in a teacup to catch tea leaves. When tea is brewed in the traditional manner in a teapot, the tea leaves are not contained in teabags, but rather are freely suspended in the water. As the leaves themselves may be distasteful, it is usual to filter them out with a tea strainer. Strainers usually fit into the top of the cup to catch the leaves as the tea is poured. Some deeper tea strainers can also be used to brew single cups of tea, much as teabags or brewing baskets are used - the strainer full of leaves is set in a cup to brew the tea, and then removed, along with the spent tea leaves, when the tea is ready to drink. By using a tea strainer in this way, the same leaves can be used to brew multiple cups. Tea strainer use declined in the 20th century with mass production of the tea bag, but is still preferred among connoisseurs who claim that keeping the leaves packed in a bag, rather than freely circulating, inhibits diffusion. Many assert that inferior ingredients, namely dust quality tea, are often used in tea bags. Tea strainers are usually either sterling silver, stainless steel, or china. Strainers often come in a set, with the strainer part and a small saucer for it to sit in between cups. Tea strainers in themselves have often been turned into artistic masterpieces of the silver- and goldsmith's craft, as well as rarer specimens of fine porcelain. Brewing baskets (or infusing baskets) resemble tea strainers, but are more typically put in the top of a teapot to contain the tea leaves during brewing. There is no definitive boundary between a brewing basket and a tea strainer, and the same tool might be used for both purposes. Tea strainers are also used by patients trying to pass a kidney stone. The patient urinates through the strainer, thereby ensuring that, if a stone is passed, it will be caught for evaluation and diagnosis. Source: www.wikipedia.net This item has historical significance in the evolution of Tea drinking.The Strainer being needed if a cup of tea was to be poured without tea leaves being present in the tea liquid.As Tea bags have been introduced into everyday life tea strainers are an item of the past. This particular tea strainer was an item for everyday useage.White enamel tea strainer, round in shape with flange edges, 7 small circle areas of perforations in the concave area of the utensil, a small perforated handle (same material) at one outer area of the item.domestic, kitchen, food, preparation, white, enamel, tea, strainer, beverage, perforated, utensil, round, flanges, leaves

Dog bone wire strainer were used in tightening vineyard trellis wires. made from cast iron, shaped like a dog bone.with teo holes at each end for wires to be pased through"WALKERS" stamped in middle of strainer

A colander, sieve or cullender is a kitchen utensil used to strain foods such as pasta or to rinse vegetables. The perforated nature of the bowl allows liquid to drain through while retaining the solids inside it is sometimes also called a pasta strainer or kitchen sieve. Conventionally, colanders are made of a light metal, such as aluminum or thinly rolled stainless or plated steel, colanders are also made of plastic, silicone, ceramic, and enamelware. The word colander comes from the Latin Colum meaning sieve.Early 20th century kitchen item possibly of French manufacture due to the design and shape of the bowl this design appears to have been favoured by the French around 1910 for smaller Colanders. This item gives a snapshot into domestic life around the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the types of kitchen equipment in use.Strainer or colander, metal, with concave base and wood handle, plated metal construction with welded or folded seams. Handle painted black, perforated base.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, strainer, food strainer, seive, food preparation, kitchen ware

Cast iron double-springed fence wire strainer, registered and patented in 1916wire, strainer, tool, tools, farm, farming, churchill island

BHS CollectionTea strainer souvenir of Toowoomba crest on handle. Star shaped pattern in bowl of strainer, marked out with the holes of the strainer. Ridged pattern on each end- bowl of strainer in the centre. Probably EPNS, but no marking visible.PITCHER MELBephemera, mementoes, tea strainer

Used by Donor's (Mrs. C. Doe) mother during the 1950's and 1960's 2 kitchen utensils - a. Egg slide with wooden handle and b. Utility spoon with wooden handleb. "Utility Beater Masher Strainer Lifter"kitchenware, eggslices, kitchen spoons

House hold Item, pastry cutter, & strainerkitchen, cooking, appliance

Cast iron lemon squeezer, with metal strainer'Success'juicers

Three-piece Soap Dish. Bowl strainer and lid with handle. Cream with Green Edgingstawell

Brown earthenware coffee pot lid with acorn shaped handle & six strainer holes in base.domestic equipment, food consumption, kitchen

Belonged to the step-mother of Ray Standfield, husband of donor.The Robur Tea Company issued vouchers/coupons on packets of tea that could be collected and exchanged for the tea-pot when enough coupons had been saved.A round squat silverplated Robur teapot containing a fitted round cup shaped strainer with hinged pull for removal.S475 PERFECT TEA-POT, MANUFACTURED BY ROBUR TEA CO LTD. PATENTED AUS 10373. 14-11-27 NZ59615 U.S AF 816-28 EPNSdomestic items, food & drink consumption

Metal wire strainer. Round cylinder with hole in centre attached to a long shaft. Three sided metal piece attached.rural industry, fencing

Sir Dallas Brooks, was Victoria's' longest serving Governor and Grand Master. Born in Cambridge England in 1896, his interest in becoming a Freemason was expressed whilst in England however he chose to wait until he became Governor of Victoria to be initiated. Sir Dallas Brooks held the position of Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of Victoria from 1951 to 1963. He was a popular Grand Master and Governor and although he was unable to commit as much time as he would have like to Freemasonry, he participated where possible.This portrait was painted by Joshua Smith and the only painting created by this artist.Framed oil painting on canvas with stretcher/strainer. Frame is wood with a matte bronze paint. Gold-coloured metal placque attached to front of canvas. Signed: 'Joshua Smith'. Placque: 'M.W. Bro. General Sir Dallas Brooks / K.C.B., K.C.M.G., K.C.V.O., D.S.O., K.St.J. / Grand Master 1951 - 63' sir dallas brooks, freemasonry, freemasons, portraits, freemasons victoria

The wire strainer was commonly used on Australian farming properties for putting fences up. Sure Grip Wire Strainers were advertised in Australia from 1917 to 1953. The distinctive grips were patented in Britain in 1913 (William Swann, (spring, hook and chain manufacturer, Walsall,in England).Improvements in or relating to means for gripping wire or the like: British patent 24,520/13. 29 October 1913.Steel bar with 2 interlocking grips for fastening the wire.Corroded marking about halfway along the lever. wire strainer

The fruit juice or lemon squeezer is a small kitchen utensil designed to extract juice from lemons or other citrus fruit such as oranges, grapefruit, or lime. It is designed to separate and crush the pulp of the fruit in a way that is easy to operate. Lemon squeezers can be made from any solid, acid-resistant material, such as plastic, glass, metal (usually aluminum) or ceramic. The oldest known lemon squeezers were found in Kütahya, Turkey and date to the first quarter of the 18th century. These ceramic presses are in the traditional style of Turkish pottery of the 18th century and have a superficial resemblance to today's press equipment with cones, though they are designed differently. These examples were individually made, and specially designed for making the then popular citrus drink sorbet. Lemons are not native to northern Turkey, though during the 17th and 18th centuries they were imported in bulk to Constantinople.The fruit juice press is an example of early 20th century kitchen utensils and is not associated with an historical event, person or place, provenance is unable to be determined at this time and the item is believed to have been made around 1900. This item is currently being used in Flagstaffs Hill village display and regarded as significant as it demonstrates domestic kitchen utensils used around the turn of the 19th century and today is a collectable item. Vintage lemon/citrus fruits squeezer cast iron juicer with two sections hinged together strainer on one section has holes for letting liquid escape.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, food press, food preparation, fruit juice press, kitchen utensil

These unusual china cups with elongated spouts were created in the days before drinking straws were common. Liquids and broth were fed through the spout to adults who were sick and could not take solid food, or to infants. The alternate name for these cups is “pap feeder.” Recipes for pap usually called for bread, flour and water. A more nourishing mixture “panada” was a pap base with added butter and milk, or cooked in broth as a milk substitute. Variations on the ingredients included Lisbon sugar, beer, wine, raw meat juices. These cups were apparently offered as accessory pieces to many regular china patterns.A white porcelain invalid or baby feeding cup decorated with a blue floral ( onion ) pattern. The cup has a spout , strainer, side handle and ‘spill-proof’ guard c19thCBase : m 8.pharmacy, medicine, melbourne, early settlers, market gardeners, moorabbin, bentleigh, cheltenham, nursing, invalid feeding, invalid cookery, porcelain

In 1870 the Earl de Grey was Grand Master of England, but his rule was short lived. After being converted to Roman Catholicism, he felt it was essential that he resign from Freemasonry as his church at the time was opposed to Freemasonry. Albert Edward Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, readily accepted nomination as Grand Master of England and continued in office until his Accession in 1901.This portrait the Prince of Wales was painted by Thomas Flintoff. It is held within a very elaborate gilded frame which comes apart in 3 sections and is one of only two known types existing.Portrait oil painting of Prince Albert on canvas stretched over stretcher/strainer. Framed in a very elaborate qilded wood and rosen frame. Heavy ornamentation on top and bottom of the frame. Signed: 'T. Flintoff 1880', Placque: 'Grand Master U.G.L. of England 1874-1901 H.R.H. Albert Edward Prince of Wales by T. Flintoff'. portrait, painting, his royal highness albert edward prince of wales, freemasonry, freemasons, freemasons victoria

Two steel wire strainers, one with makers tag noting Whites Wires Arndell Park NSW 2148; includes directions for application. Items stored in Pittock Coach builder's box, reference 13000.1.Whites Wires Arndell Park NSW 2148