Beddenpan before 1696

Editor: This is a “Beddenpan,” or bed pan, crafted by Wessel Jansen sometime before 1696. It’s made of silver, which gives it a delicate gleam. Honestly, my first thought is just how ornate it is for something you heat up and shove under the covers. I mean, all those lovely perforations! What is your impression? Curator: Well, isn't it intriguing? This "beddenpan", not what we might think of today as a bedpan, was essentially an early modern hot water bottle. Can you imagine a frosty winter night? A servant would fill this silver vessel with hot embers, then gently slide it between the sheets to pre-warm the bed! Forget your electric blankets – this was luxury at its most baroque! The piercework isn't just decorative. It allows heat to radiate outward, all while preventing those embers from escaping and, shall we say, causing an unwanted, toasty surprise! Editor: Oh! Embers! That makes so much more sense! I was trying to figure out what you'd *do* with a fancy silver bedpan… Curator: It's easy to misinterpret these things from a distance, isn’t it? And imagine the person using this…snuggled up in their heated sheets, feeling like royalty. Doesn't it make you wonder about their lives, their dreams, what warmed their heart beyond just the coals? Editor: Absolutely. It’s a far cry from my dorm room and microwaved dinners, that's for sure. This is the ultimate bougie sleep accessory. Curator: Indeed! And perhaps a reminder that luxury isn’t always about practicality. Sometimes, it's about infusing a little artistry, a little beauty, even into the most ordinary of rituals. Editor: This gives me a new perspective, considering I assumed bedpans only had one use, or function! Curator: Art always invites us to see the world, and history, with new eyes. And sometimes, even with a slightly warmer perspective.