My parents bought a new house and the previous owners left this weird thing on the shelf.It’s like a cross between a miniature frying pan and an antique box.But what is it and what is it for?

When my parents bought a new house, they had no idea that they would also be getting a little mystery from the past. On a shelf in the corner of the living room stood a strange object – something between a miniature frying pan and an antique box.

I noticed it right away, but no one knew what it was. We just left it as a decorative element, thinking it was nothing more than a pretty trinket.

As time went on, interest in this mysterious thing grew. Golden patterns, green ornaments and a carefully thought-out shape suggested that this object was not simple.

One evening, our neighbor Victor, a man passionate about history and antiques, was visiting us. He, seeing the mysterious box, laughed delight with and explained that it was not just a decorative item.

“It’s an old-fashioned crumb collector,” he said. “In the old days, it was used to neatly clear away food scraps, cigar ashes, and other odds and ends from the table.”

There were no dishwashers, and people wanted to keep the tables clean. Look how exquisitely everything is done – gold, patterns, and a handle for convenience. Probably this container was part of the service of some rich house.

As it turns out, such a thing is used nowadays as an element of vintage decor.