[johnbryanpeters]

What's this?

It seems to be for heating water, left chamber is for fuel, presumably charcoal. It holds about two and a half liters of water. Made of hand hammered copper.

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

 

[BurlyShirley]

That is a samauri car battery.

 

[sanjuro]

I am guessing it is for tea...

 

[narlus]

definitely a sashimi cooker.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

definitely a sashimi cooker.

On what do you base that assertion?

 

[sanjuro]

On what do you base that assertion?

That sarcasm dictates that you do not cook raw fish.

 

[valve bouncer]

I haven't got a clue mate. My wife didn't know either but I'll ask around for ya. I think Shirley's idea was the closest.

 

[Austin Bike]

Never saw one any of the times that I was there.

My guess would be a humidifier. Looks like you can't get the water out easily, so it is probably designed to disperse through the air?

 

[johnbryanpeters]

I haven't got a clue mate. My wife didn't know either but I'll ask around for ya. I think Shirley's idea was the closest.

Thanks! I was thinking maybe sake warmer?

That sarcasm dictates that you do not cook raw fish.

Octopus used for sashimi is cooked.

 

[Westy]

Thanks! I was thinking maybe sake warmer?

Octopus used for sashimi is cooked.

I was thinking the same thing but don't the Japanese prefer to get hammered in more permanent social type settings where a portable unit wouldn't make much sense?

 

[valve bouncer]

Thanks! I was thinking maybe sake warmer?

.

That would have been my first guess. I posted your pic on another web-site and a guy who deals in Japanese antiques reckoned it was a sake warmer. I'll show it to a few oldies and see what they reckon.

 

[valve bouncer]

I was thinking the same thing but don't the Japanese prefer to get hammered in more permanent social type settings where a portable unit wouldn't make much sense?

Probably would have sat on a table in your house I reckon. At least until microwaves were invented that is.

 

[Carbon Fetish]

Sell it on eBay and make up a story that it is haunted. You could make some coin from that.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

From a woman in Japan:

...it's a cooker/water heater. The top left opening will accommodate a pot, presumably the kind with a rim, and the left side is for water. The hot water is to be ladeled out, not poured. The handle makes it portable, so perhaps it's for use at a tea stand or... on a Yakata Bune where food and drinks were prepared. Yakatabune are tourist boats...

 

[Bullitrider]

Well, it's definitely a heating pot made for outdoor use. The charcoal chamber is so you don't have to build a campfire to use it. Inside there is a tube running from the liquid chamber, through the heating chamber, so yourdrink heats as it's poured. It is NOT a teapot. It is for heating the waterto pour into the teapot. It's basically for use by farmers so they don't have to go in for lunch, or for picnickers. Also, it's not something used today, it was replaced by the thermos.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Well, it's definitely a heating pot made for outdoor use. The charcoal chamber is so you don't have to build a campfire to use it. Inside there is a tube running from the liquid chamber, through the heating chamber, so yourdrink heats as it's poured. It is NOT a teapot. It is for heating the waterto pour into the teapot. It's basically for use by farmers so they don't have to go in for lunch, or for picnickers. Also, it's not something used today, it was replaced by the thermos.

No tube. There's just a firepot in the tank.

 

[Bullitrider]

You must have the "old school" version.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Claimed to be 18th century.