Tripod pot
A cast-iron pot on three legs that stood directly in the embers – the kitchen before the stove.
On the open hearth the pot stood in the embers or hung from a hook. The three legs kept it steady on uneven ground and let the embers reach the base.
Bronze pots were common in the Middle Ages, but from the 17th century cast iron became cheaper. When the iron range arrived in the 19th century, the tripod pot gave way to flat-bottomed pans.
Materials: Cast iron, sometimes bronze
Manufacture: Cast in sand moulds at ironworks; the mould seam often shows as a line round the pot.
Three legs and a round belly with no flat base.
A casting seam or sprue mark under the base.
A works mark or a number indicating the size.