Big Metal Bowl

Cast iron caldron, used for the hide and tallow trade. Tallow, or fat, was removed from the carcass and melted to a liquid in iron caldron’s such as this.

Californios—Mexican Californians—traded hides and tallow (beef fat) to European and American merchants. Many of the Indians from the missions stayed to work for the new rancheros. They butchered cattle, rendered tallow, and prepared hides for export.