A scarce vintage dining accessory made by the famous Tell City Chair Company, this maple and copper piece is a bun warmer for serving hot rolls or biscuits. The hand wrought copper lid opens and closes with the thumb release above the wooden handle to keep the bread warm. The bun warmer is about 13 inches long including the handle by 7" wide by 4-1/2" high at the back.
The hammered copper top has a warm brown patina. There are some light scuffs and scratches to the wood finish at the back and interior front, all of which are evident in the photos. The next to last picture shows a thin scrape to the wood at one corner where the copper lid attaches. The original paper label that was on the bottom is gone now but it would have been marked Pattern 3104, #48 Andover finish, Tell City Chair Co. Tell City Indiana. The bun warmer is often mistaken for a coal scuttle, but the last photo is from a 1950s company lamps & decorative accessories brochure showing it is indeed a hard rock maple bun warmer (left column center).