By Kerry Knight
Ever wonder how the idea of a clawfoot tub came about? Well, it all goes back to ancient Europe. Royalty has created some fine art, either by
design or decree, and the deep, soaking tubs sitting upon legs or claws of animals,
is one of them.
Unlike the bathing pools in ancient Rome or Athens, the
soaking tubs were personal and private.
They had no faucet holes, so the tubs were filled with warm water by
servants. They were made of many
composites such as stone, wood or
alabaster.
Eventually, with the passing of time, cast iron molds were
made in the shape of deep tubs.
Porcelain glass was poured or sprayed over the cast iron. Many were made to sit upon the legs or claws
of animals, such as the lion or bear.
Some legs would bear the image of fish, eagles, turkeys, and even
gargoyles. These designs were also made
of cast iron.
During the late 19th century and early 20th century,
Most were called traditional roll top or rolled
rim. They were designed with a dramatic slope
on one end and a more upright design for the plumbing holes on the opposite end. Tens of thousands of these tubs came off the
assembly line, and many can still be found today.
Many of these will be banged up pretty bad,
with cracks, chips and missing porcelain.
There is a great demand for those
who can refinish and restore the old tubs to some semblance of their glory days.
Today, the foundries that once thrived in the making of these
tubs are gone. However, there are still ways
to find newly manufactured ones. Many American
companies import newly made cast iron and porcelain clawfoot tubs from different
parts of the world. Not only will you see
the roll rim design, but also dual ended, slipper tubs and even double slippers.
Like the tubs of old, these new ones are designed
to last a hundred years or more. The legs
are even more beautifully designed and can be made of chrome, brushed and polished
nickel, and even old rubbed bronze.
For those looking for elegance in bathing and rich accents to
their architecture, the new and improved clawfoot tub is still available. These tubs can be ship anywhere and can make any bathroom beautiful.
In this article, I have discussed the history of
the clawfoot tubs and how it originated in ancient Europe. I also discussed how the
many varieties came about and how there is a strong demand
for those who are skilled in the restoration of these tubs. Today
manufacturing of these tubs has shifted from American foundries to
being imported by US company that specialize in the beautiful
tubs. This article also lists many of the specific styles of
tubs available to chose from. If you found this article to be useful
please pass it on to your friends. If you have a comment leave it in the box
below. It has been my pleasure sharing this information with you. Thanks again
for sharing this journey together.
Until next time keep smiling.
Alan & Kerry Knight are the owners of Tub King, Inc and Senior Bathtub.com in Jacksonville Florida. Together they have many years of experience in the antique and senior bathtub industries. Their companies not only provide superior products they are also award winners, winning the best of Jacksonville Chamber Award 3 years running. If you would like to contact them call (800) 409-3375 or (800) 843-4231 or email them at alan@tubking.com.
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Being a plumber means we do a great deal of bathroom remodeling. While I have installed many different kinds of baths over the years, I still think you can't beat the elegance that a clawfoot tub lends to a home.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting info and yes, these certainly do bring an additional touch of clss and elegance to a bathroom. Nothing pre-molded or "plastic" about one of these beauties!
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