Made by a blacksmith and stamped with the name “GRAVES,” this gridiron was used in hearth cooking in the 17th through the early 19th centuries before the advent of the cookstove. The cook shoveled a pile of coals on the hearth to make a burner, placed the gridiron over the coals, and put on top the food to be broiled or toasted. This implement is fitted with a drip pan to catch the grease, perhaps from meats like bacon.