Coal iron with a chimney

Irons are devices used for ironing, which means smoothing out wrinkles on fabric or leather through the application of heat and pressure. Before the invention of electric irons, one of the most commonly used types was the coal iron. These irons were heated to the required temperature by placing hot coals inside them. The drawback of this type of device was that ash from the iron could soil the fabric being ironed, and sparks could even burn it. Additionally, the person ironing was exposed to the harmful smoke produced by the burning coals. To address this, some coal irons had chimneys as an integral part, which directed the smoke away from the person ironing. In the ethnographic collections of the National Museum in Szczecin, there is a coal iron with a chimney shaped like a dragon's head. During ironing, the smoke would escape through the open mouth of the animal. The head is directed to the right, which suggests that the iron was intended for right-handed users. Such irons were also occasionally produced with the chimney facing the opposite direction – for left-handed users. At the back of the iron is a hole used to regulate the airflow into the device. The air supply increased when a flap (which has not survived) was opened. Increasing the airflow caused the coals to burn more intensely, raising the temperature of the iron. The handle is made of wood, and below it is a metal plate that protects the hand from the heat emitted by the iron. The size and weight of the iron indicate that it was used to press thick fabrics. Agnieszka Słowińska