Braziers
Brazier (Picture thanks to VROMA)
A brazier (BRAYS-yer) is a kind of portable grill, usually made out of clay but sometimes out of bronze or iron, which held charcoal or wood fires. You used it to heat your apartment, or to cook on. The modern equivalent would be a little hibachi. Braziers were widely used throughout the ancient world, from China all across Asia to Rome. They were less common in northern Europe, where most people just cooked over open wood fires.
To find out more about braziers, check out this book from Amazon.com or from your library:
Food in History, by Reay Tannahill (1995). Some good information about Chinese use of braziers, with pictures.
