Bellows used in a forge

DESCRIPTION:

In the Sicilian dialect it is called “manticiu di fuorgia” and it was used in the forges to blow over the coals in order to reinforce the flame. The object is a leather bag that blows some air and is composed by two flat wooden parts linked to a leather bellows provided with a narrow tube. The upper table is not fixed and has a hole with a valve for the entrance of the air.

The function of the bellows consists of two parts: first, the “mobile table” is pressed against the bottom to compress the air from inside to outside with the help of a narrow tube, as the valve remains closed; then, the “mobile table” is brought higher creating a depression and opening the valve to let the air go outside. The bellows acted as a pump of air and lighted the fire in the forge both manually or with a foot pump.