Brush
Description
This oak hand brush was used as a general purpose sweeping brush. The upper section has signs of wear from being gripped and the lower has holes enclosing the clusters of hog hair bristles which are held in place with copper wire. The two-part construction means that the brush plate can be exchanged for a new one when the bristles become worn out. It is marked with a broad arrow to show that it was the property of the Navy Board. Cleaning was part of the daily routine on board ship, it was important for both hygiene and discipline. On most ships the decks were cleaned during the morning, though times varied. The lower deck was to be washed only once a fortnight, and the cockpit never, being brushed instead. The upper deck was to be washed after sunset, but the captain varied the routine to keep the crew busy.
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Object Detail
Width: 70mm
Depth: 67mm (2 5/8")
Weight: (0.34kg)