Musée du
Compagnonnage
de Tours

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  1. Musée du compagnonnage
  2. The guilds
  3. The masterly hand
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  5. The tools
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The hand

  • Of men and crafts
  • Vocational improvement
  • The masterpiece
Our collections
  • Wood
  • Stone
  • Metal
  • Leather and textiles
  • Food products
  • The tools
See also...
  • History
  • The masterly hand
  • The reigning spirit

Our collections

The tools : Choose a masterwork...

Cooper’s axe
Cooper’s adze

Among the woodworkers the coopers stand apart from the rest. Whereas carpenters, joiners and cabinet-makers have a fair number of tools in common or similar, coopers’ are completely different.

Photo : R. Nourry
Sandstone stonecutter’s mallet
Sandstone stonecutter’s mallet
Sandstone stonecutter’s mallet

The hand of a sandstone cutter from Vitré area (Ile-et-Villaine) has slowly shaped the handle of this mallet, worn down by abrasive dust and sweat over the course of a whole life of labour.

Photo : R. Nourry
Array of tanner’s tools
Array of tanner’s tools

Arrays of miniature tools were sometimes made by edge-tool makers. This one displays tanner’s tools and was produced in the early 20th  century by Touzalin Co from Château-Renault (Indre-et-Loire), the once ‘leather city’.

Photo : R. Nourry
Roofer’s earrings
Roofer’s earrings
Roofer’s earrings

The earrings worn by the 19th century compagnons were sometimes ornamented with miniature tools of gold or silver. These ones show the small anvil and the specific hammer roofers use. Nowadays, only bakers and pastrycooks du Devoir sport them on special occasions. In the other crafts, they are no more than plain gold rings and their usage is far from widespread.

Photo : R. Nourry
Baker’s coat of arms in bread dough
Baker’s coat of arms in bread dough
Baker’s coat of arms in bread dough

Tools are present in the coat of arms of all the compagnons’ brotherhoods. To the ever-present set square and compasses are generally added tools or objects specific to the craft : a double-ended chisel for the carpenters, a cooper’s axe, a spoke-shave or a wheel for the cartwrights, a small anvil and the peculiar hammer for the roofers or the wooden shovel and fire-rake of the bakers as shown in this photo.

Photo : R. Nourry
Cooper’s axe
Cooper’s adze

Among the woodworkers the coopers stand apart from the rest. Whereas carpenters, joiners and cabinet-makers have a fair number of tools in common or similar, coopers’ are completely different.

Photo : R. Nourry
Sandstone stonecutter’s mallet
Sandstone stonecutter’s mallet
Sandstone stonecutter’s mallet

The hand of a sandstone cutter from Vitré area (Ile-et-Villaine) has slowly shaped the handle of this mallet, worn down by abrasive dust and sweat over the course of a whole life of labour.

Photo : R. Nourry
Array of tanner’s tools
Array of tanner’s tools

Arrays of miniature tools were sometimes made by edge-tool makers. This one displays tanner’s tools and was produced in the early 20th  century by Touzalin Co from Château-Renault (Indre-et-Loire), the once ‘leather city’.

Photo : R. Nourry
Roofer’s earrings
Roofer’s earrings
Roofer’s earrings

The earrings worn by the 19th century compagnons were sometimes ornamented with miniature tools of gold or silver. These ones show the small anvil and the specific hammer roofers use. Nowadays, only bakers and pastrycooks du Devoir sport them on special occasions. In the other crafts, they are no more than plain gold rings and their usage is far from widespread.

Photo : R. Nourry
Baker’s coat of arms in bread dough
Baker’s coat of arms in bread dough
Baker’s coat of arms in bread dough

Tools are present in the coat of arms of all the compagnons’ brotherhoods. To the ever-present set square and compasses are generally added tools or objects specific to the craft : a double-ended chisel for the carpenters, a cooper’s axe, a spoke-shave or a wheel for the cartwrights, a small anvil and the peculiar hammer for the roofers or the wooden shovel and fire-rake of the bakers as shown in this photo.

Photo : R. Nourry
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NEWSLETTER
Musée du
Compagnonnage
de Tours

8 rue Nationale
37000 Tours
Tél. 02 47 21 62 20

  • Home
  • The guilds
    • History
    • The masterly hand
    • The reigning spirit
  • Practical museum
    • Opening and admission
    • Groups
    • Library
    • Agenda
    • Actualités
    • Photo gallery
  • Young visitors
    • Families
    • Schoolchildren
  • Genealogy
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