Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

BREAD MAKER

Date Range From

1933

Date Range To

1960

Materials

TIN, ENAMEL

No. Pieces

2

Height

32

Diameter

42.5

Description

WHT WITH BL ENAMEL BREAD MAKER BOWL WITH LID. HANDLE MISSING ON ONE SIDE OF BOWL. RIM SLIGHTLY BENT WITH VARIOUS RUST MARKS. LID FITS ON TOP WITH HANDLE. SIX VENT HOLES ON TOP BENEATH HANDLE. RUST MARKS ON TOP AND BOTTOM.

Subjects

FOOD PROCESSING T&E

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

History

ITEM BELONGED TO DONORS MOTHER, OTO KANASHIRO (1906-1992). KANASHIRO WAS BORN ON A SUGAR CANE FARM IN THE SEMI-TROPICAL ISLAND OF OKINAWA AND MARRIED BOKUJIN KANASHIRO IN YOMITAN, OKINAWA, JAPAN IN 1930. AFTER THEY MARRIED, MR. KANASHIRO, RETURNED TO HIS HOME IN HARDIEVILLE, ALBERTA. MRS. KANASHIRO WENT TO OSAKA TO WORK IN A SILK FACTORY AND WAITED HER TURN TO BE ALLOWED INTO CANADA. AT THIS TIME THE NUMBER OF NEW JAPANESE IMMIGRANTS WAS RESTRICTED. IN OSAKA, SHE LEARNED TO CARE FOR SILKWORM COCOONS, SPIN YARN, AND TO WEAVE VERY FINE SILK. AFTER THREE YEARS, MRS. KANASHRIO MADE THE DIFFICULT THREE WEEK JOURNEY TO CANADA BY BOAT, ARRIVING AT HER NEW HOME IN HARDIEVILLE, ALBERTA. SHE CAME TO SETTLE IN THE SMALL COMMUNITY OF APPROXIMATELY 50 OKINAWA FAMILIES. SHE QUICKLY LEARNED TO MANAGE HER DOMESTIC LIFE AND FOUND HER MAIN SUPPORT FROM THE WOMEN IN THE COMMUNITY AND HER EXTENDED FAMILY, IN PARTICULAR HER SISTER- IN-LAW, USHI KANASHIRO WHO TAUGHT HER HOW TO MAKE BREAD. OVER TIME, SHE PERFECTED THE ART OF BREAD MAKING, BAKING FIVE TO EIGHT LARGE LOAVES AT A TIME TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF HER GROWING FAMILY. SHE MADE THE BREAD FROM YEAST, WHEAT FLOUR AND USED LIQUID FROM BOILED POTATOES. SHE USED THE LARGE ENAMEL BOWL WITH THE LID TO MIX THE DOUGH AND ALLOW IT TO RISE. WHEN THERE DOUGH ROSE SEVERAL INCHES ABOVE THE RIM OF THE BOWL, IT WOULD BE PUNCHED DOWN AND LEFT TO RISE ONCE MORE. THE DOUGH WAS SHAPED INTO LOAVES AND PLACED THREE TO A PAN AND TWO FOR THE SMALLER BREAD PAN THEN BAKED IN THE OVEN OF HER COAL BURNING STOVE. FOR VARIETY, SHE WOULD MAKE CINNAMON BUNS OR DINNER BUNS FROM THE SAME BREAD DOUGH. OCCASIONALLY SHE USED THE BREAD DOUGH AND CUT OUT DONUT RINGS, DEEP FRY IT THEN COAT IT WITH SUGAR. SHE ALSO MADE KARINTO WITH THE BREAD DOUGH (SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO MAKE KARINTO) MRS. KANASHIRO BAKED BREAD USING THIS EQUIPMENT UNTIL THE 1960S WHEN HER CHILDREN LEFT HOME ONE BY ONE. SHE STILL OCCASIONALLY BAKED BREAD BUT IT WAS ONE OR TWO LOAVES AT A TIME USING SMALLER KITCHEN BOWLS AND PANS. FOR FAMILY IMAGES, PLEASE SEE RELATED ARCHIVAL DONATION 20091011000. PHOTOCOPIES OF PHOTOS CAN BE FOUND AS PART OF THIS DONATION'S PERMANENT FILE. FILE ADDITIONALLY INCLUDES HANDWRITTEN LIST OF SOUTHERN ALBERTA JAPANESE FAMILY SURNAMES WHICH ARE ASSOCIATED WITH OKINAWA. LIST WAS PROVIDED BY VISITING JAPANESE BUDDHIST REVEREND FUJIOKA WHO WAS STUDYING OKINAWIAN IMMIGRATION TO SOUTHERN ALBERTA. SEE PREVIOUS DONATION BY DONOR P20030003000-GA

Catalogue Number

P20060015001

Acquisition Date

2006-06

Collection

Museum

Less detail