When central heating was not available, besides stove and fireplace, another heating item was used in ancient times: the warmer (or brazier). It was a container in metal, terracotta or ceramic filled with embers and warm ash used as personal heating support and bed warming. The female custom to hold the warmer next to the body or under the garment is at the origin of the Dutch popular believing that women could be made pregnant simply holding the warmer on their womb. A similar believing was present also in Tuscany, but in this case the responsible was a winged pretty airy fairy (folletto) who introduced itself in the body of the woman and she was made pregnant (see endnote).

a pretty airy fairy (folletto) makes pregnant the woman holding the warmer

	The warmers had a metal liner to avoid the direct contact of the live coal with the external surface. The ceramic warmers were painted on the sides and on the lid with rich floral decorations, scenes of daily life or landscapes..
'famille-rose' ceramic warmer (19th century)

A particular item was the bed-warmer. It had a turned wood handle and, in Italy, was used into an appropriate support to avoid damage to blankets.
	Victorian bed-warmer with long wood handle and the support used in Italy to protect the blankets

In Italy, the silver warmer was of oval or circular shape with pierced lid for a better diffusion of the warmth (the holes were called 'sfiatatoi'), wood or metal feet, elaborate scroll handle with a wood or ivory support on the centre.

The 18th and the 19th century production of silver warmers attained a high artistic level, with models which followed step by step the taste and the stilistic evolution of their time (ornamentation with flowers, leaves, masks, geometric bands, gadroons, beadworks ...).
This item was a typical artifact produced by the most renown silversmiths throughout Italy (Rome, Naples, Florence, Milan) (see below).

	silver warmer of oval shape, standing on four ball and foliate feet, pierced on the body and on the lid, scroll handle. Silversmith Lorenzo Zandonati, Bologna, 18th century, second half
Silversmith Lorenzo Zandonati, Bologna, 18th century, second half

	silver warmer of circular shape, standing on four paw feet, gadrooned embossed body, pierced lid with floral motif, double scroll handle. Presumably Naples, 1824/1832.
Presumably Neaples, 1824/1832

	silver warmer of oval shape, standing on four paw feet, pierced lid with floral motifs. Silversmith Giannotti Angelo, Rome, 1824-1865
Silversmith Giannotti Angelo, Rome, 1824-1865

	silver warmer of circular shape standing on a plain feet, body gadrooned and with large floral band, pierced lid and bud finial. Silversmith Menazzi Girolamo, Rome, 1802-1835
Silversmith Menazzi Girolamo, Rome, 1802-1835

	silver bed warmer of circular shape with ebonized turned wood handle, large chiselled band on the body and on the lid. Silversmith Biagio Giordano, Naples, 1774-1793
Silversmith Biagio Giordano, Neaples, 1774-1793

	silver bed warmer of circular shape with turned wood handle. Plain body and pierced lid. Milan about 1820
Milan about 1820

	silver warmer of oval shape standing on oval beaded foot. Body engraved with monogram FO and decorative motifs, pierced lid with leaves. Silversmith Angelo Codacci, Florence, 1773-1821
Silversmith Angelo Codacci, Florence, 1773-1821

	silver warmer of oval shape standing on four paw feet. Plain body, pierced lid with double wood handles.Swivelling double scroll handle with central ebonized wood support. Silversmith O. Pini, Florence, ... 1811 ...
Silversmith O. Pini, Florence, ... 1811 ...

(endnote) the tradition of women rendered pregnant by fire was well known in ancient Etruria and is mentioned in Roman age by Plinius and Livius. They report that Ocresia (a prisoner of war of noble origins) was rendered pregnant by the fire of the domestic Lares (household gods) generating in such way Servius Tullius, who, after the death of his spouse's father Tarquinius Priscus (Tarquin the Elder), was elected the sixth King of Rome.