грелки для рук

This brass container acted as a hand-held hand warmer. Inside is a small brass cup designed to hold a small quantity of smouldering charcoal. The cup was suspended within a set of gimbals which kept the cup level and prevented the burning charcoal from touching the surface of the container. Hand warmers were particularly useful during long church services.

Brass and copper items were sometimes coated with a thin layer of silver. This provided a cheaper alternative with the appearance of sterling silver. However, frequent polishing often wore away the layer of silver to reveal the base metal underneath, as with this piece.

© Victoria and Albert Museum, London 

Англия. 1880.

The design of this hand warmer has been registered with the British Patent Office by the retailer to protect the idea of combining the function of the warmer and purse from plagiarism by other manufacturers or retailers. The design was drawn as well as described. The drawing shows an object with ornament in the form of a shell. The hand warmer does not have this decoration which must have been seen as unnecessary when the object was finally made. It is described in the patent office registers as a 'muff warmer and purse'.© Victoria and Albert Museum, London 

Италия. 18-й век.© Victoria and Albert Museum, London 

Италия. 1450 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 

Династии Мин (1368-1644)  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Англия. 18-й век.  The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Китай. 16-й век. © Trustees of the British Museum