1800s Cast Iron String Holder

You see these “string holders” quite often online and in antique stores. MemoryLaneVintiques hand-picked in Dallas, TX.

Imagine a time before Scotch tape, Velcro, Super Glue and other common adhesives were available to hold everyday life together.
Cord was used to tie things up then, and no kitchen was complete without a ball of string, kept handy for household chores.
String was even saved, piece-by-piece and tied together, to create balls by thrifty homemakers who knew the value of a penny saved. Used by bakers, grocers and storekeepers of all types, string was a common packaging material, making it easy to find and save.
To dress up the household balls of string and make it convenient to use, containers were made to conceal and dispense this handy household item. The early string holders were made from cast iron and looked like a beehive or bell. Later ones were made of chalk or ceramic and these were cast in shapes that resembled faces.
Early cast iron string holders date back as far as the 1860s, according to patent records, but string holders grew to mass popularity in the late 1930s and '40s. Five-and-10 stores sold them with housewares, and just about everyone picked one up to brighten their kitchen and allow for convenient use of string.
During the mid to late 1800s , most popular household string holders were the “behive” shape ” that was patented at the time. Sometimes this “Victorian” design is also referred to as the “egg shape” design.
Moving into the 20th century and into the 1920s, the designs and patents of cast iron string holders began being more about subject matter and Art Deco influenced.
One of the rarest designs to find are from that period. During the 1930s through the 1940s during The Great Depression, string holders were mostly made from wood for cheaper production and to conserve iron ore supplies for the The Department of War during WWII.
Ceramic or Chalk designs of string holders were the most popular in the late 1940s. By the 1950s string holders fell out of practical need and became more about decoration or the designs with faces became popular “kitschy” sewing room decorations.
Like this “beehive ” design and the other older cast iron caged designs, they can be used for a tea light candle holder to add a unique touch to any room in your home.

Genuine Antique Cast Iron
NOT A REPRODUCTION
Original patina
String in photo NOT INCLUDED
Weighs 14.5 ounces
Stands 5” tall
Cage is 4” wide
Outer cage circumference is 10.5”
Cast iron affixed hinged clasps

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