Cast iron odorless skillet

This is a cast iron odorless skillet. Which has nothing to do with the skillet itself being odorless.

They were also called smokeless skillets.

These skillets were made over 100 years ago, specifically for use on wood stoves.

The skillet would be cooking on the open eye of a wood stove; The holes around the rim would draw the smoke coming from the food, back into the stove, so it wouldn't smoke up your kitchen.

This feature doesn't apply to gas or electric stoves, which is why these skillets are obsolete.

I've just learned that these skillets had a special lid with holes, made of tin. So, the smoke would go into the lid, and then be sucked back into the stove.

The "smokeless" feature would not work without the lid. I don't know if the lids are still around, so now it's just a decorative skillet.