Burner
Burner, mid-20th century AD, Steel, brass and cotton
This burner used methylated spirits to heat Lebanese coffee and other liquids, and is called in Arabic a ‘beboor uhwi’. The methylated spirits were placed in the receptacle at the bottom, and the metal jug containing the coffee was placed on the horizontal pieces of the three vertical steel projections. The woven cotton wick passed through a circular piece of brass into the receptacle, so that the methylated spirits would pass up the wick, which was then lit to produce a flame. Drinking of coffee is central to the social life of the village, and an important part of the culture of Lebanon generally.