This sifter (or sieve) consists of a wooden hoop with a fine gauge of wire mesh covering one end. Flour, or other fine grained foods, would be put into the sifter and the sifter would be gently agitated, causing the flour to "sift" through the mesh. This was done in order to separate the fine from the coarse particles. Sifters of this kind are quite versatile and are used all around the world. The gauge of the wire screens varies in size depending on how the sifter is intended to be used. Different sized gauges are used for different tasks, e.g., rubbing herbs through, sifting flours and grains, or grating dough. Rufus Estes notes in Good Things to Eat that because of the screened bottom and open top, an inverted sieve makes an ideal cooling surface for use in such recipes as the one for drying violets.
Good things to eat, as suggested by Rufus : a collection of practical recipes for preparing meats, game, fowl, fish, puddings, pastries, etc., available at: https://n2t.net/ark:/85335/m58q2d Biography of Estes, Rufus, 1857-, available at: https://d.lib.msu.edu/content/biographies?author_name=Estes%2C+Rufus%2C+1857-
