What-is-it question XXIII.

[2209patrick]

This piece is 10.5 inches (26.7 cm) long. The bowls on these items were usually less than 4.5 inches in diameter and less than 1.5 inches deep.
It's copper lining is missing. The one pictured was made c.1785.
In the mid 19th century an invention came along that made these obsolete.

I don't think many people in the U.S. know what this was used for. Now, I know we are going to get a few different names and uses for this item. I'm not saying that they are incorrect. I'm just looking for one of it's main uses from the 18th century up until the mid 19th century.



Many people say these have a Dutch origin. That would explain why the few seen in the U.S. were made in New York, a Dutch colony. Spain and at least three of it's former colonies (Mexico, Peru and Argentina) also made them. This Spanish / Dutch connection may be because Spain once occupied Holland until 1648. Spanish ones sometimes have two handles.
Some were also made in Germany, France and Scandinavian countries, frequent traders with the Dutch.

Pat.
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[Doos]

A "pijpkomfoor" .. pipe rechaud.
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[2209patrick]

Well done Doos!

In German it's called a "kohlenbecker",
in Spanish it's called a "chofeta" and "brasero",
in French it's called a "couvet (couvon)",
and in Denmark it's called a "glodeskal (glodefade)".
In English it's called a "pipe lighter" or "smoker's brazier".

Before friction matches were invented in the mid 19th century, most smokers lit their pipes with embers from the fireplace or stove. A glowing ember is difficult to hold in tongs and is not something you want to drop on the floor, table or lap. So these shallow bowls were made so people could safely pass hot embers from one person to another.
Yes, they are often mistaken for Chafing dishes.

Pat.
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[admin]

Here's a Mexican ca. 1860 example, also called a braserillo.

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[Doos]

Although they tried, the Spanish never occupied Holland.
Around the time that smoking became the craze, Holland had a few colonies in the americas (like present day New York, Suriname etc), so it is very likely that the tradition was carried out through those lines.
Of course our ancestors (on all sides of the ponds) tried to get a hold of any ship's cargo that crossed their paths in those days, so everything is plausible.
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