Stunning copper and brass "doofpot"

A lovely copper and brass vintage ember container, known as a "doofpot" in Afrikaans. The doofpot was a container commonly found in middle and upper class Dutch households. It was also used in the Cape Colony by the settlers. The stingy Dutch, before going to sleep at night, would place the remaining embers, partly burnt wood from their stoves or fireplaces, into the pot. This extinguished the flames, and the Dutch saved some of their precious wood for the morning fire.
It was also used because the early houses were often constructed out of wood, and removing any burning pieces of coal or wood before going to sleep at night, meant less chance that a gust of wind would blow embers onto the wooden floor and start a fire. This doofpot is 34 cm high (without the handle), with a 24 cm diameter at the bottom, and it weighs 1,9 kg.  A beautiful vintage and well-made piece of history.