Picture a long buffet table where every dish stays warm from first serving to last — that's exactly what this Ernest Sohn copper chafing dish was built for.
Maker: Ernest Sohn
Origin: United States
Era: Mid-20th century
Material: Copper, wood
Dimensions: 11.5"H x 9.5" diameter (top opening) x 16" overall length with handle
Includes: 6 pieces — cover, chafing pan, removable wood handle, water pan, stand, and sterno cup with hinged snuffer
Condition: Visible wear to copper, wood handle, all as consistent with age and use
The bowl and lid are hand-finished copper with a warm, lightly aged patina. The lid sits low and flat rather than fully domed, rising just slightly at the center to meet a turned wood ball finial, and the bowl is fitted with a long wood side handle that unscrews for easy serving or storage. The stand's three scrolled legs cradle a copper fuel burner with a hinged snuffer cap, so heat can be raised, lowered, or shut off without moving the dish itself. Visible wear to the copper, wood handle, and knob is consistent with honest age and use.
Model #5825 carries the mark of Ernest Sohn, the mid-century tableware designer whose studio became known for its warming sets and buffet pieces, in the form collectors expect: a wide copper bowl with a low, gently rising lid, raised on a scrolled tripod stand over a fuel burner, so the dish could travel from stove to sideboard and hold its heat through a long evening.
Bring it to the table for a buffet of eggs, creamed dishes, or a warm dip — the kind of quiet, functional elegance that makes entertaining feel effortless.
