Cast iron pot

Can anyone identify this cast iron pot? It has two drainage holes evenly spaced .[url=img]https://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t12052-cast-iron-pot#125896[/img]]img]https://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t12052-cast-iron-pot#125896[/img][/url][url=][/url]

No picture on this end...

Got pic to post!

I have heard that the Chinese sometimes burned incense in containers like this? Does it show any residue of that type of use?
But, the style says Japanese to me. The Japanese made low cookers that held charcoal under a grid for cooking. This one seems a little shallow for that use.

Hi Michael

It is an incenseburner....used in tempels ....filled with sand.
It can be used as a doban ( metal-suiban)....filled with sand, with a nice suiseki-stone.

Kind regards Yvonne

Why would there be the two one inch diameter holes cast in the bottom if they aren't for drainage?

Michael longnecker wrote:Why would there be the two one inch diameter holes cast in the bottom if they aren't for drainage?

I have no idea....maybe it is a bonsaipot, and not a doban after all.

Kind regards Yvonne

If it is an incense burner the holes would help with air for burning and also to lighten the weight

Or someone had a drill

If the holes are large and square or rectangular I lean toward incense burner even more.

Cast Iron isn't easy to drill, it can be quite brittle.

Dave Holes are not perfectly ROUND so appear to be cast instead of drilled?
Dimensions of pot are 12" long x 7 1/2" wide x 3 1/2 " deep..... 7/8" diameter holes.

Billy M. Rhodes wrote:If it is an incense burner the holes would help with air for burning and also to lighten the weight

I have seen many incense burners, none of them have holes. Could we have a closeup photo of the holes?, as I am temptet to give BigDave right...they are drilled.

Kind regards yvonne

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Hi Michael

The photos are very small, and I can not blow them up, so I can't be sure.....but the hole look very drilled to me...please check if the metal look "fresh" inside the hole....and are you sure it is iron....dobans is normaly made from brass, bronze or copper.

Kind regards Yvonne

Inside of hole not "fresh"...very rough and jagged.
Definetly appears to be cast iron...quite rusted.

Michael longnecker wrote:Dave Holes are not perfectly ROUND so appear to be cast instead of drilled?
Dimensions of pot are 12" long x 7 1/2" wide x 3 1/2 " deep..... 7/8" diameter holes.

Mr Longnecker,
Ha ha you are gettin there. Yvonne is right, bigger and more photos and I bet some one will give you a better answer.

Irregular holes could be torch made I suppose also. It wouldn't take long to oxidize and look original.

Either way it is now a bonsai pot if you so choose , right

Just found out holes NOT cut by torch. Doesn't cut like steel....would be blowing out blobs.

Michael longnecker wrote:Just found out holes NOT cut by torch. Doesn't cut like steel....would be blowing out blobs.

yes Sir, would take a bit of skill wouldnt it, but would account for irrregular edge. Moot point now though.

what are your plans for this pot?

As a bonsai pot it will rust -- and that, I suppose will supply iron to the tree. <g>

This is one of the most interesting threads on the forum! OK, so I'll put in my two cents.

The fact that .....

"Inside of hole not "fresh"...very rough and jagged.
Definetly appears to be cast iron...quite rusted"

.... neither supports nor confirms a "cast" or "drilled" hole. After all, that's what rust does - deterioates smooth edges. We're back to square one.

The fact that it’s cast iron makes me think it was made for either temples or some commercial use.

The holes (almost certainly cast) indicate it’s used as a planter (not necessarily bonsai). My gut feeling is that it was produced for use as a planter/incense vessel outside of shops, near the curb (as is often seen in “the east”) or for temples - both cases being seen anywhere from India to China and from Japan to Indonesia.

Mr Scion,

Very good deductions, you are smart. In the US we use cast iron for making cornbread...mostly





smells good as incense and taste lots better

I have to doubt that it was used as a planter. It would quickly be covered in rust.

Remember that your bbq grills all have holes in the bottoms to provide air flow to keep the coals hot. I'm fairly confident this was an incense burner.

BigDave wrote: In the US we use cast iron for making cornbread...mostly

Gosh! You Americans must have some VERY strong teeth! We use flour in Europe

JimLewis wrote:
Remember that your bbq grills all have holes in the bottoms to provide air flow to keep the coals hot.

True. However, incense sticks don't lie on the bottom of a partially enclosed vessel. They rely upon the oxygen readily available well above the edge of the "pot". It is also true that there are incense "cones" that might benefit from your theory of bottom holes but .......... only marginally.

You might be right, Jim.

sub title: "Whole: The incense material is burned directly in its raw unprocessed form on top of coal embers."

From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incense

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Weihrauch.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQqs310WNH4