Pocket warmer
A portable pocket warmer kairo 懐炉, made of sheet metal and covered with dark purple velvet. It contains four unused pieces of charcoal wrapped in paper. On the inside of the lid is written in large block letters “pocket warmer Tokyo”.
The item was used to warm the abdomen and waist. Crushed charcoal, which warmed for up to 6 hours after being lit, was used in Japan until about 1935. Today, disposable heating pads filled with gel have the same function. (MV)
Material description: sheet metal, fabric, paper, charcoal
Dimensions: width: 11.5 cm, height: 6 cm
No. of parts: 5
Current owner: Celje Regional Museum
Date of the last acquisition: 1957–1960
Last acquisition method: donation
Previous owners and periods of ownership: Alma M. Karlin, Thea Schreiber Gammelin, Celje Regional Museum
Object condition, handling and damage: well preserved
History of exhibition: Celje Regional Museum, Celje, 16.10.2019–31.5.2020 (exhibition: Azija me je povsem uročila [Asia Utterly Bewitched Me])
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