The unusual long-handled object in the photo is an antique bed warmer, also called a warming pan. Before central heating and electric blankets, bedrooms could become brutally cold during winter. A warming pan offered a simple solution: hot embers, charcoal, or ashes from the fireplace were placed inside the round metal container, the lid was closed, and the pan was carried to the bedroom.

The long wooden handle allowed someone to slide the hot pan safely between the sheets and move it back and forth across the mattress. Within minutes, the bedding became warmer and less damp. The decorative holes punched into many brass lids allowed heat to escape while helping keep the glowing material contained. Historical examples from the 1700s were often made from brass and iron and could measure several feet from the pan to the end of the handle.

Using one required care. Leaving the pan stationary for too long could scorch bedding, and poorly contained embers obviously created a fire risk. That’s why it was normally moved constantly and removed before anyone climbed into bed. Historical descriptions specifically mention filling the pan with hot coals and rapidly moving it between the sheets.

Today, these objects mostly survive as antiques and decorative pieces, but centuries ago they were genuinely useful household tools. Before thermostats, heated mattresses, and electric blankets existed, this simple brass pan could make the difference between climbing into freezing sheets and getting into a comfortably warmed bed.