This one used to be black, the red is painted on. The guy I bought it from said that his wife had bought it from an artist on the east coast who sold painted antiques in the 1970's (when that was regarded as OK to do!) He showed me a second piece he had that was done by the same artist. It was a wooden footstool on rockers, to use with a rocking chair. She had painted it in a Pennsylvania Dutch style. He said that they bought it when they lived back east in the 70's, then his wife passed away and it had been sitting in a box for many years, ever since he had moved to California. He said he was glad that it was going to someone who could used it for pies and asked me to email him my pie recipes!
I think I would melt the paint if I tried to put it on a wood stove now. But I like it, it makes a cute little pie safe/carrier and it fits right in with the rest of the kitchen. I could cut a little removable metal bottom plate for it, but it probably doesn't need it.
I do have a lead test kit. There are no soldered seams, it's all folded over metal, but I always like to test anything that might come into contact with food and was planning to do that. I will also have any pies, cakes etc in a dish with foil anyway.
