"Yes", Pelady, those small barrels are good "decorator" items a nd use to bring good money at auctions and flea markets, etc. They can be re-purposed for different uses.
And ps, if you submerge your 2 barrels in water ..... the staves will probably swell "back up" making them tight or "leak-proof" ...... but not liquid "leak-proof" because me thinks they were used for shipping "dry" materials.
Liquid containing wood barrels had "thick" staves (say 1/2 to 3/4 inch) with their "sides" cut at an angle to insure a "tight" seal when clamped together with the steel hoops.