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Jack of Hilton and the History of the Hearth-Blower

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2008

Arthur MacGregor
Arthur MacGregor
Affiliation:
Department of Antiquities, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford OX1 2PH, UK. E-mail: .
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Abstract

The resurfacing of a late medieval hearth-blower, first brought to public notice by Robert Plot in 1686 but subsequently seen only infrequently, provides the opportunity for a review of the type. Examples of these anthropomorphic aeolipiles from England, all late medieval in date, are placed in context, both in time – stretching back to the Classical period – and in space. They prove to have been widely distributed in Continental Europe, while related types are known from as far east as the Himalayas. Although latterly limited in application to fanning the flames of a fire, earlier references show an awareness of a range of potential uses in domestic and industrial contexts.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Antiquaries Journal , Volume 87 , September 2007 , pp. 281 - 294
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 2007

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References

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