Stoneware hot water bottle (called a foot warmer or a "pig")
Name/Title
Stoneware hot water bottle (called a foot warmer or a "pig") carriage/sleigh rides
Entry/Object ID
100140
Scope and Content
(AI)19th-century winter comfort: an antique stoneware hot water bottle (frequently called a foot warmer or a "pig" in British terminology due to its rounded shape).
Before rubber hot water bottles were invented, heavy pottery vessels like this were standard household items for chasing away the winter chill.
How It Was Used
The Setup: The user would boil water on the hearth or kitchen stove, carefully pour the piping-hot water through the top spout, and seal it tightly with a screw-in ceramic stopper or a snug cork (like the one visible here).
Bed Warmer: Because heavy stoneware retains heat incredibly well, this bottle would be wrapped in a piece of flannel or an old towel so it wouldn't burn anyone. It was then slid under the heavy quilts at the foot of a freezing bed about twenty minutes before someone went to sleep, ensuring the sheets were warm and cozy.
Michael Brown told me Aug. 2026 that a teacher from Washingtonville School found it and knew where it belonged at the Bull Stone House.
Travel Companion: Just like the punched-tin foot warmer you found earlier, these liquid-filled pottery warmers were also tucked into winter carriage or sleigh rides to keep passengers comfortable on long journeys. value ?
