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Pie Birds and Pie Funnels (vents) | Pie Birds5 of 5 |  |  |
Posted 2 years ago
SMD
(85 items)
In my teen years & early 20's I collected vintage and antique pie birds and pie funnels (also called pie vents). I also have some newer ones from the past 15 years that have not been used. A pie bird (or pie funnel) is placed in the middle of a pie crust to allow steam to escape through the top during baking so the juices remain inside the pie. It's a fun piece of kitchen history.
Here are photos of some of my "flock".
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Pie BirdsPie birds, also called pie funnels, pie ventilators, pie cups, or pie chimn…
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Cool collection. I actually had to google "pie funnel" to see what the heck it was! lol I'm not a baker, or a cook for that matter.... my husband is.
Thanks. This article provides a bit of information: http://www.antiquetrader.com/article/Pie_birds/
Well, you really do learn something new everyday! Thanks!
I am so glad to see this! Recently I found a ceramic black bird while cleaning out my Grandmothers house. I had no idea what it was, until now. What a relief to see your collection...I had that bird in my hand so many times, and kept putting it back in her cupboard, I finally brought it home and put it beside some Royal Doulton chicks, poor black bird looks like the ugly duckling next to them, but I love him! I always wondered if there was a missing piece to him- I never would have guessed it was a pie!
BeauxPurdy, I am glad this helped you solve the mystery! A blackbird pie bird made in England is what got me started on my collection when I was 12 or 13.
You have a lot of nice thing posted! You are from Delaware, My Grandparents had a summer house in Bethany. I would spend summers there w/ my Grandmother, my best memories are when it was just the two of us and she would take me to dinner at Dinner Bell Inn then to Stuart Kingston for auction. (i was so lucky, my sister still hates me for my 'trinkets') I swear I was born as a retired old person! And the restored Coast Guard Station by Indian River, I need to visit that this summer. Thank-You !
I see these sometimes in antique stores. Never knew what they were. Very interesting.
It is much harder to find genuine vintage & antique birds in today then it was 15 + years ago. Most I have seen both in antique stores and online are reproductions being passed off as vintage or antique.
I added my Royal Worcester pie birds in new postings today.