Bathtub in Enamelled Iron, Central Europe, 1950

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This antique bathtub in enamelled iron rests on a folding stand of bent iron tube. Originates from Central Europe, from … Read more This antique bathtub in enamelled iron rests on a folding stand of bent iron tube. Originates from Central Europe, from the middle of the twentieth century, where sheet metal was press-formed and fired with vitreous enamel.Portable baths on trestles solved washing in homes without a fixed bathroom: they were filled by hand, emptied through the side drain and folded against the wall. They were made in series across Central Europe well into the second half of the century.

The basin is pressed from a single sheet, with a rolled rim and two integral side handles. It measures 101 cm long by 48 wide and 23 deep. The stand opens into two crossed trestles of bent tube and folds down to 87 × 69 × 29 cm.The white enamel has taken an ivory tone and shows rust staining in the base and small chips at the rim where the metal comes through. The tube stand is evenly rusted, with the matt texture that time gives. The contrast between the pale basin and the reddish iron is what defines the piece.Today it serves mainly as a large planter on a terrace or courtyard, and equally as a bottle cooler or ice tub at a party. Its oval silhouette and folding stand make it easy to move and to store. See less