Indian Idli or Cake Pan

Spot a wide flat dish with tall lugs and a banded foot, shining gently inside.

This brass idli or cake pan is from India, and dates to the early 20th century. Brass cookware has long been used in Indian kitchens, and pans like this were often tinned inside, since uncoated brass can react with acidic foods. Visibly, a shallow basin with two high loop handles and a stepped, ringed base ending in small feet. Round hollows are visible in the floor, and a warm golden brown surface fades to dark grey at the foot. It is 3 inches high and 7.5 in diameter.

Steadier than it looks, and well decorated underneath.