Pic borrowed off the net.Mongolian hotpot, shabu shabu, steamboat, asian cooker.These work like a thermette, kelly kettle, etc but this cooks food ,they come in ,alloy. stainless steel,copper,brass,ive seen sizes from 2 litre capacity to about 6 litre but theres probably bigger. you put sticks twigs etc from the bottom as well as the top , (but this pic doesnt show the bottom opening needed but there other pics in this album that does).It is a communal cooking and serving pot and the forerunner of our modern meat fondue pots. The five main races of China are the Han of China proper, the Mongolians, the Tibetians, the Manchurians and the Muslim tribes. Outside the Great Wall lived the nomadic Mongols. Descendants of the great Kublain Khan, superb horsemen who in ancient times controlled an Empire stretching from Peking to Vienna. Here were the origins of the Mongolian Stove and many of the barbecued dishes of China. At night, the nomadic tribes gathered around the cooking fires and prepared their simple meal. Chunks of meat were speared and cooked in a stew, bubbling in a primitive cauldron. The gourmets of Peking and Japan transformed the simple firepot into the festive dish we know today. Even so, it still appeals to our primitive love of fire, food and friendship. . these seem to be still mass produced, amazon had some a while ago.