This is a cast iron spider. No, not a creepy crawly.The spider was a skillet with legs, meant to be used over fire or coals. They're no longer made.
Some had longer legs than the one pictured.
There used to be recipes for "spider cornbread", similar to "skillet cornbread" recipes today.
You can use jiffy mix, or this recipe.
I've seen dutch ovens and potjies mistakenly referred to as "spiders", but they're not. A spider is a skillet or fry pan, not a pot.
Spiders also had no legs, tabbed feet, Heat Rings or was a Smooth Bottom. Plenty of 19c Catalogues linking the the word to a Frying Pan with and without legs. The word Spider (Cast Iron) started going out in the latter 1800's but not completely until the 1930's. They were also known as Fry Pans. You can get this kind of info in the Patents.
ReplyDeleteNow a Posnet or a Skillet (both words of French origin) have similar physical forms from the 1700's to the latter 1800's.
A Small Pot with a Long handle.
Yes I said Pot.