Early 18th Century French Brass Plague Pan With Forged Iron Handle

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Plague pans, possibly due to their rareness, are commonly misidentified and sold as bed warming pans. Herbs would have been … Read more Plague pans, possibly due to their rareness, are commonly misidentified and sold as bed warming pans. Herbs would have been burned in the bottom pan with the holes on the top lid allowing smoke to escape in the hopes that as it is carried throughout the house it will cleanse the air of the plague. Based on lid design this pan is more than likely French and dates to approximately 1720, which is the year the Bubonic plague hit that country. The hinged lid and pan below it are both brass and are attached with copper rivets to a hand forged handle that would have had a wooden handle inserted into its other end for carrying. The wooden handle, understandably, did not survive. In fact, there is not a great deal of documented information about plague pans, but the one example, that is in a private collection, has a similar 6 point star pattern. What an extraordinary piece of history. See less