Citrus Fruit Squeezer

Citrus Fruit Squeezer A porcelain squeezer framed with metal derives from the 19th century from the Potocki collection. The item comprises two parts; the bottom porcelain one in the shape of a bowl with holes (in the shape of letter S) has metal framing, provided with a metal handle, slightly curved. The upper part (pressing) is also made of porcelain, in the shape of a semi-orb with metal framing, connected to the bottom part with a decorative hinge. A handle extends from the decorative hinge which at the same time functions as the lever of the squeezer. The semi-orb squeezing the fruit was attached to the handle with the use of a decorative rosette; the upper lever is longer than the bottom handle. The kitchen, according to some, is not only a place where the food is prepared, but it is the heart of a home, where everybody meets, exchanges remarks and ideas ˗ a place where a family becomes one. In wealthy homes, manor houses and palaces, there were kitchens equipped not only with various types of hearths and ovens (for bread, cakes, meat, etc.), but also diverse accessories such as pots and pans. Wealthy homes sometimes had several kitchens fulfilling specialist functions and also a separate room for coffee brewing. Kitchen utensils comprised diverse items (often richly decorated) and intended for preparing various dishes, such as pots for cooking fish, skillets, cauldrons, kettles and decorated moulds for legumes, puddings and cakes, jellies and chopping knives used to separate meat, including knives decorated with silhouettes of animals or their heads, kept in the Museum. In the course of time, more specialist items started to appear, such as fruit (lemon) squeezers, egg cutting devices or vegetable shredders, up to complete mechanisation in the form of kitchen robots.