Fire basket
A fire basket is an iron basket in which wood can be burned to make a bonfire. Fire baskets have been used since antiquity mainly to illuminate and heat rooms.[1] Today, they are most often used in an outdoor garden area as an outdoor heater or grill. The fire basket primarily is used to contain firewood, or another fuel, and is meant to offer fire protection.[2]
The basket itself consists of a heat-resistant steel, or iron, container with high side walls that are punctuated by large mesh or grid-like openings, with a bowl underneath to catch the ashes.[3]
A fire basket is similar to a brazier, and is often used not only as a heat source but also for cooking or grilling food.
Background
[
edit
]
Skagen's Lever Light in Skagen: from 1627 to 1747 fire baskets were raised with a lever arm.During the Middle Ages fire baskets filled with sulfur were used to repel the Black Death.[4]
In addition to its lighting and heating functions, fire baskets have a wide variety of uses. Before document shredders, the fire basket was widely used to burn secret documents, and fire baskets are most often found in a garden for heat and light.[3] The beacon atop the Altenburg castle in Bamberg served to communication with the neighboring Giechburg castle.[3]
Historically, fire baskets were used in lighthouses, such as Skagen's White Lighthouse,[5] as the beacon.[6] In the 16th century, Frederick II ordered the erection of beacons at Skagen, Anholt and Kullen Lighthouse to mark the main route through Danish waters from the North Sea to the Baltic.[7] These "bascule lights" or "tipping lanterns" (Danish: vippefyr) were fire baskets hung from a bascule. In Skagen, the current vippefyr is a reproduction of the original, which dates back to 1626.[8]
Heraldry
[
edit
]
A fire basket is an uncommon heraldic figure in heraldry. Another name in Germany is the "pitch basket",[9] or a "straw basket".[10]
A distinction is made between two representations: Only the empty fire basket or the basket with flames licking up from it is shown in the coat of arms and/or in the upper coat of arms. All heraldic colors are used, but black and the metals are used most often. The flames are mostly red. Deviations and special shapes and positions are to be mentioned in the description of the coat of arms. The town of Becherbach uses the fire basket in its coat of arms from the terms pitch and basket.[11]
A cresset is a fire basket on a pole.[12]
Gallery
[
edit
]
A fire in a basket
A fire basket from Pompeii
The retired Skagen's White Lighthouse in Skagen, North Judland, Denmark. On the roof is the fire basket once used as a beacon.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
One of my favorite ways to add farmhouse charm to our home is with wire baskets. I just love the simple and clean look and they are so versatile. Plus you can hardly watch an episode of Fixer Upper without seeing a wire basket, which is maybe why I’m so obsessed with them. Either way, my house is full of wire baskets so today I wanted to share how I use these little gems in my everyday decor. I’m also including a few very similar farmhouse style baskets that are available on Amazon!
Would you believe that I never hung baskets on the wall until about a year ago? Strange, I know. And now this is my favorite way to use them. Here’s a few examples:
I found these for a bargain price at Hobby Lobby. I love how simple and easy they were to hang and it’s fun to switch out the goodies inside from time to time. I also found a slightly smaller set that works perfectly for books in the play area. Amazon has this great country rustic gray basket that is very similar.
Moving into my breakfast nook, here is another option:
I found this vintage basket at a local antique show and I loooove it. Plus I got it for $7, but that makes me love it even more. I think it’s perfect hanging on the wall. Another good option is this hanging wall pocket wire basket on Amazon.
And one last pair of hanging basket in our front entryway. These baskets each had a wire handle, but those made them too rigid to hang. So I removed the handles and used twine to hang them from the coat rack. Easy fix! A similar option on Amazon would be these rectangular country style baskets–perfect to hang with a bit of twine!
I also have two large baskets in our mudroom.
I found these baskets in a pile of junk…Don’t judge me! At the time I had no idea what I would do with them, but I brought them home anyway. Imagine my surprise when I realized they fit perfectly on the shelves in our mudroom! I love the texture and rustic look they add to this space. Another great alternative is this larger rustic style basket from Amazon–these would also be perfect for mud room storage.
And lastly, here are a few other fun and random ways I use wire baskets in my decor:
Can’t go wrong with a basket and a blanket.
Or a basket and a few pretty bottles. I found an almost identical basket (with bottles!) on Amazon. Or this basket and bottle combo that is also very farmhouse style!
There ya have it–so many possibilities with a simple wire basket! I hope this gives you a little inspiration. Let me know if you have any questions and as always feel free to track me down on over in the lovely world of Pinterest, Facebook & Instagram.
Wanna learn how style a wooden crate? I’ve got you covered: