Shovel, Grain

Description

Grain shovel cut and carved from a single walnut slab. Two pieces of tin-plated iron nailed to reinforce front edge.

Notes

There are few tools that better reflect the ability of Shaker artisans to achieve beauty through elegant design and skillful craftsmanship than this simple wooden grain shovel. Carved with simple hand tools between 1820 and 1850 from a single piece of wood, this shovel was made to be used in a Shaker barn or granary. In the 19th century, grain shovels were traditionally made of wood. Granaries were full of a very fine dust that could ignite into a powerful explosion by a spark. Wooden shovels, unlike iron ones, did not create sparks as they were scraped over iron nail heads in the granary floor. The other safe shovel, made of brass (aluminum was prohibitively expensive), weighed and cost much more than wooden ones. This shovel has had two pieces of tin-plated iron nailed to it to reinforce the thin front edge that had cracked as the wood aged over the years.