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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2014 02:27pm
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It is cast iron
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Malamute
Member
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2014 02:31pm
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I think it's to put humidity into the house when set on a woodstove.
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SE Ohio
Member
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2014 06:23pm
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Cast iron incense burner 
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2014 06:52pm
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I should add that I have no idea. Nada. Zilch. It was at a garage sale and someone dragged it homer because it was cute and cheap.
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adakseabee
Member
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:52pm
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Before there were electric heated, plastic basin, Vicks vaporizers, there were wood heated, cast iron, camphor oil vaporizers and cast iron ashtrays for three large cigars.
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SandyR
Member
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2014 08:33pm
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It looks like a cute little mini pot pie pan to me!
I love my cast iron! It's the only thing I use
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2014 09:05pm
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Yes, incense.
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silverwaterlady
Member
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2014 09:19pm
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I think it is a incense burner too.
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2014 09:26pm
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Paperweight, or door stop.
I once saw a house with a Remington signal cannon for a door stop. Great conversation piece.
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Just
Member
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2014 09:31pm
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it is a French casserole dish used for cooking and serving ,hence the color on the outside as apposed to a Dutch oven that has no color just iron.
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hattie
Member
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2014 09:54pm
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I agree with Malamute.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 10 Mar 2014 10:21pm
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I should have mentioned the size. Maybe 6 inches across. Probably too small to be an effective humidifier unless one liked refilling it frequently. ZIncense burner has possibilities. I have found pictures of them, but none with the same 4 hole lid.
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KSalzwedel
Member
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# Posted: 11 Mar 2014 02:03am - Edited by: KSalzwedel
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Put it on top of your woodstove with water in it, and it humidifies dry air. We do this with an old, unused dutch oven. Works to keep us from drying out. Oops! Didn't see it was that tiny.
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ErinsMom
Member
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# Posted: 11 Mar 2014 05:43am
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If the holes were smaller, I would say a bed warmer.
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Don_P
Member
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# Posted: 11 Mar 2014 07:25am
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Not a clue, in delftware there is a similar looking lid on a narcissi forcing pot
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TheWildMan
Member
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# Posted: 11 Mar 2014 08:35am
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its for a wood stove, to add humidity to the air. winter air is cold and can't retain as much water vapor as warm air so is already kind of dry, wood based head also tends to dry out the air. I have a humidity gauge in my cabin and all winter the humidity inside is less than 10%, I can hang sliced apples or pumpkins on string and have them crispy brittle dry the next morning (got buckets full of dry pumpkins and apples, add boiling water to make a pie filling). the dry air can make some people get nose bleeds and makes it hard for your skin to transfer heat from in the body out or absorb heat from the air (you probably heard a dry heat is easy to ignore). these covered pots are set on a wood stove to evaporate water and put some humidity back in the air.
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SandyR
Member
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# Posted: 11 Mar 2014 09:47am
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Two things - It wouldn't work well to add the moisture to the air from being placed on the stove because it is too small. The water would evaporate too quickly. Also it couldn't have been made for the reason of adding humidity to the air because cast iron does not work well with being wet all of the time. It would rust terribly and get ruined. So, it really couldn't have been made for this purpose.
( I use an old copper tea kettle without the lid on my wood stove for the humidity )
After using anything cast iron all it needs is to be wiped out with a clean cloth. Cast iron is meant to be kept oiled at all times, even when not in use.
I really do think it was made for baking and cooking uses.
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TheWildMan
Member
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# Posted: 11 Mar 2014 10:57am
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SandyR, the use of cast iron cookware was a lot more popular with woodstoves back in the 1800s (think old time homesteading under the homestead act). people back then used cast iron for everything because it was the best thing they had available for the time. those basic cast iron stoves still available date back to this time period and for their day it was the best available. people back then didn't have as much info available to them, a few books maybe, and talking to neighbors. these were sold to solve a problem and people went with it because it was what they had available (old time cure all remedies were also mostly wiskey with opium and coke in it, it made you feel better without actually doing anything). you can still find old time technology being sold because people still buy it not knowing its been proven ineffective.
the old cast iron was made with crude molds made from sand and the pots and pans had been rough and pitted from the casting process. newer ones were smooth and distributed heat better and were easier to clean. companies like lodge logic started selling pitted and rough cast iron imitating the early processes because it looked more rustic and people buy it (its hard to find smooth ones in my area).
the design was originally made for a humidifier but wasn't effective (actually you can find overly ornate cast iron humidifiers sold in tractor supply store in the fall when they put out their wood stoves, its on a shelf near the long matches and composite logs for decorative fires). this looks like one that may date back to the 30s or 40s.
your right that it would rust up without care and would boil off too quick to be effective, but the companies that make it don't care as long as people will pay for them.
actually peoples lack or knowledge about keeping cast iron oiled has got me dozens of free pots pans and dutch ovens, people buy them, use them making a mess then when they rust up toss them out. I just clean them and recondition them with a scrubbing brush and oil.
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Just
Member
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# Posted: 11 Mar 2014 11:05am
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maybe a cheese fondue pot
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ILFE
Member
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# Posted: 11 Mar 2014 12:17pm
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A spittoon for really advanced chewing tobacco users? 
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SandyR
Member
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# Posted: 11 Mar 2014 01:28pm
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Wildman, I never thought about some of the things you stated. I bet you're right and that people would by products without knowing if they worked just because they were cute.
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larry
Member
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# Posted: 13 Mar 2014 10:13pm
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it is whatever you make of it....it's awesome!
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