17th Cent (Rushlight) GRISSET

A rare English cast iron ''down hearth'' Grisset from the late 1600's/early 1700s. The front legs are typically shorter than the back to to tip the tallow forward. These small vessels were used by placing the tallow (animal fat) into the Grisset and gently pushing up to the embers of the fire to melt the tallow...the rushes, which have been previously reduced in length.... dried and stripped of all the skin, apart from a small strip of skin for support are then drawn through the melted fat in the grisset to coat them. They are then dried and ready to use as replacements for candles.