Communion Bread Maker
Communion bread maker, Iron, mid-20th century AD
This bread maker can make five heart-shaped communion wafers at one time, which are impressed with lozenge shaped metal projections. The two pieces are hinged together and are secured by two small steel cylinders, which are placed over two protuberances on each side. The upper piece has ten semi-circular protrusions around the edge. The dough for the wafers in spread on the heart shapes and the closed object is placed in an oven, which bakes the bread by the heated iron. The device was made in Germany and has German inscriptions on its face. Such a bread maker is important for producing communion wafers which are used in the Eucharist of the Maronite Mass, such as that which takes place in the church of St Assia in Toula.