I have a question about a Chinese steamboat made of brass.

The function of these cooking devices is ingeniously simple. They are
for cooking and eating round a table. Broth is put into the bowl and
a charcoal fire lit in the chimney that runs up through the bowl.
Pieces of meat, vegetables and noodles are cooked in the broth and
lifted out with chopsticks, being replaced with fresh pieces for
cooking. The lid is kept on to stop cinders emerging from the chimney
falling into the stock.

Does anybody know of the history of this sort of instrument?

Is this specimen likely to be an antique? I have seen only aluminium
versions in Asian stores in Australia.

http://box.net/public/richwrig/dfile...atComplete.jpg
http://box.net/public/richwrig/dfile...boatDetail.jpg
http://box.net/public/richwrig/dfile...boatLidOff.jpg