This is an antique pewter ice cream or chocolate mold with a walnut pattern. It was made in France during the early 1900s and is marked with the number 1704 L G. The mold has a small size, ovoid shape, and a capacity of 3 ounces. It is compatible with chocolate and ice cream and has a hinge stamped with the number 7762. The mold is Victorian in style and made of pewter. It weighs 8 ounces and measures 5 and 3/8 inches in length when opened. Walnut molds are reasonably common in pewter, bronze, silver and silver plate, but. There is NO GOOGLE reference to this particular mold! Here is what the Smithsonian Institution says about pewter ice cream molds. They do not have this one! Molded ice cream was a popular treat in the United States from the 1870s to 1950s, with a boom in ice cream consumption driving increases in mold manufacturing between 1921 and 1925. The Eighteenth Amendment, prohibiting the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages from 1920 until it was repealed in 1933, sparked an increase in consumer demand for such things as soft drinks, ice cream, and confections. Indeed, ice cream consumption increased by over 100 million gallons between 1921 and 1929. The majority of the molds in the collection were manufactured by Eppelsheimer & Co. Of New York, one of the three largest American ice cream mold manufacturers at the time. These hinged molds, dating from the 1920s and 30s, while still functional, can no longer be used due to the lead content in the pewter. While the mold’s exterior is otherwise nondescript, the interior, where the ice cream was poured and frozen, clearly depicts the details! Once frozen, ice cream makers could embellish their confections by painting on a layer of food coloring. These individual molded ice creams would then be served for special occasions or holiday meals. As American holidays became more commercialized in the early twentieth century, the demand for variety in ice cream molds increased, as is apparent in the collection. However, technological advancements in ice cream manufacturing, the development of ice cream novelties such as the Eskimo Pie and the Popsicle, and the advent of packaged ice creams available in groceries, transformed ice cream in the eye of the American public from a seasonal or specialty dish into an everyday treat. As such, molded ice creams fell out of fashion by the 1950s. How they were used. There is a video on Google illustrating this process. The ice cream would be spooned into both sides of the mold. The mold was then closed and both sides were pressed firmly together. The heavy pewter kept the cold inside. This kept the ice cream firm and in the shape of the mold. When the mold was opened, the ice cream would be placed on a plate in such a manner that the design was exposed adding a visual delight as well as one for the taste buds. Frankly, although I do think that this mold could be used today! That’s probably a bad idea because of the lead in the pewter! We want to find new homes for our collected treasures. We want to find people who will appreciate them. Rather than leave them on the shelves for our estate manager to cope with, or worse. Have them get lost in some 2nd hand store jumble. My pension after 50 years of Federal Civil Service (CSC, Peace Corps, GAO) is enough for us to enjoy our “golden years”. So, please give this wonderful little ice cream mold a new home and help BD, BR, GD, and LT keep theirs! Thank you for reading this. And Please remember to VOTE this year.