Tin at the museum

For centuries, tin was a popular metal used for everyday utensils. Who doesn´t know the tin plates and jugs depicted in the still lifes of the Golden Age? But whitesmiths were able to do so much more with tin: this is how the Chessmen Museum came to own a tin chess game.

The tin chess game from the J.M. Glotzbach collection portrays Roman legions. The exact same Roman figures stand opposite each other, the difference being that the figurines on one side are darker than the ones on the other side of the board. This chess game was purchased in the summer of 1986 during a tin day at the Tinmen Museum in the town of Ommen. During these special tin days, tinsmiths and painters gather to give demonstrations and exchange models.

Church and nobility
The process of tin casting was already known in ancient times, but only a few objects from that age have been preserved. Tin is very delicate and easily wears away with heat or cold. In the Middle Ages, tin became an important metal in Europe. The oldest description we have about the manufacturing of tin dates back to 1100. After the discovery of a faster sea route to the East, large quantities of raw material were imported at the end of the 15th century. Especially the church demanded tin items, although, in the late Middle Ages, the demand for tools and ornamental objects increased in non-ecclesiastical circles as well. Tin became increasingly popular as tableware and household effects on smartly set tables.

The end of the 16th century saw the start of the true golden age of tin. Well-to-do citizens and aristocrats started collecting rare and curious objects from exotic countries. They had large cabinets built to show off their beautiful collectibles. Tin artefacts were also part of these collections. Mastering the art of tin casting was very hard and collectors admired the craft greatly. Apart from that, the shiny metal looked very nice in the cupboard, especially if you had it polished regularly.

From the 17th century onwards, tin became less rare of a material because of newly discovered tin mines in Germany, and the production of utensils increased significantly. Jugs, bowls, plates and spoons made of tin were very common items and can be seen frequently in still life paintings from that era. The owner did have to be careful with acids, such as lemons, which caused stains.

Craft
Tin as a pure metal is quite rare and as a material it is too soft to forge. Whitesmiths blend it with a small percentage of a different metal such as copper or lead. The latter is no longer used because it is toxic. The tin smith melts the metals and then pours them into a mould, the cast. Up to the 18th century the casts were made of sandstone, clay or plaster. The tin smiths would then pour the tin into these casts and break them off once the tin had solidified. The tin smith then only had to polish his product and add some finishing touches. Ever since the 18th century casts are also being made of iron. These casts are the whitesmith´s prize possessions.

Tin casting sounds easier than it actually is. First of all, the correct temperature is vital. If the temperature is too high, the tin will turn red and if the temperature is too low, it will become matte and permeable. What´s more, the object is worthless if the liquid tin does not cover the whole cast evenly. Whitesmiths call these unwanted crevices copy holes.

If the casting process had been successful, and the cast broken out of the mould, tin smiths often decorated its empty surfaces with engravings. In spite of the merging with other metals, the tin would have stayed soft enough to treat it in this manner.

A visit to the museum
Tin is not a frequently used material anymore nowadays. Plates and bowls are made of stone or plastic and cutlery is now made of stainless steel. In the art industry tin isn´t used a lot either. There are still many collectors though, and fortunately tin smiths do still cast tin figurines during special demonstrations. If you don´t want to wait for a demonstration then you can come to the Chessmen Museum and have a look at our tin chess game and, of course, the other extraordinary chess sets on display.

By Marjolein Overmeer