Indian Knee Rest for Cooking

A top-heavy pierced dome on a stepped, bell-shaped base, with green at the foot.

This bronze knee rest for cooking is from India, and dates to the early 20th century. A knee rest is a simple support used while sitting, and objects of this kind show how everyday tools were shaped by the way people worked. The upper cap has several incised rings and scattered round and oval holes, finished with a rounded knob. Below, a stepped, tapering stem flows into a broad base with triangular cutouts. Traces of green crust sit in the recesses. It is 5.5 inches high and 3.5 in diameter.

A lot of structure for something so full of holes.