Wooden Hot Pot 12 Inch — Brass Inlay

About this piece

Wooden Hot Pot 12 Inch — Brass Inlay: 12 inch sheesham hot pot with fine brass inlay, in two designs. Made by hand from sheesham (rosewood) and coloured lac and brass and inlaid with brass, in the Sillanwali Handicrafts workshop in Sillanwali, Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan. It measures 12 inches across. It costs PKR 2,300. It is ready to ship and delivered within 3 to 4 days anywhere in Pakistan, paid in cash on delivery.

A hot pot keeps roti soft and warm from the first serving to the last, and this one is turned from solid sheesham rather than pressed out of plastic. Twelve inches across, shaped on the khraad — the foot-lathe every piece in this workshop starts on — with the body and the lid cut from the same stock so the grain runs on across the join. The brass is inlaid by hand, not printed. Fine channels are cut into the surface, brass wire is laid into them, and the whole piece is then polished back until the metal sits flush with the wood. It traces the rim of the lid and runs in bands around the body, catching the light as the pot is carried. The lid is deliberately heavy and seats flush, which is what holds the heat in, and lifts by a turned knob at the centre. Sized for a family table, it goes from kitchen to table without anything plastic appearing in between — which is why it tends to come out when guests are sitting. Made in Sillanwali, Sargodha, and turned and inlaid individually, so the grain, the colour and the exact run of the brass vary between pieces. Wipe it with a dry cloth rather than washing it, and keep it clear of standing heat. A name, a date or a line of calligraphy can be engraved on the lid, which is what makes it a common nikkah and housewarming gift.

Every piece is made by hand, so the wood grain, carving and colour vary a little from the photo. That variation is normal and is what makes each one its own.