It looked like a baby bath or a large flower pot. I learned it was a foot bath (sometimes spelled footbath). Even though I didn't need a foot bath, I bought it anyway. A use can always be found for something beautiful. I use mine for dried flowers, needlepoint canvases that I'll never finish, TV remotes, newspapers, and children's books. It is really a gorgeous container for the detritus of my life.
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| My foot bath is a beautiful container for everything! |
It is 18 inches by 14 inches by 9 inches high and weighs a lot. The pattern is Maxstoke Castle, Warwickshire, a fortified manor house or castle that was built circa 1365. The foot bath dates from around 1825. It is part of what is known as the Foliage Border Series by the ubiquitous Unknown Maker. The great Unknown copied the pattern from a book titled "Views of the Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland," published in 11 volumes (1818-1829) by John Preston Neale.
You can buy a foot bath today. Amazon has one that offers "soothing heat and power hydro jets" for your tired feet. It is made of plastic and metal and is not very pretty, but it probably does a better job on your feet than my foot bath!
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| "Maxstoke Castle, Warwickshire" foot bath, circa 1825 |
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| "Maxstoke Castle, Warwickshire" pattern mark |
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| Source print for "Maxstoke Castle, Warwickshire" foot bath |
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| Maxstoke Castle, Warwickshire today |
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| Inside the foot bath/A mess contained! |
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