Nineteenth–century bathtubs were viewed as furniture rather than fixtures. As such, tin tubs were often decorated with painted stripes and swags or marbleized to imitate wood. This tub, with its multicolored stripes around the top edge and its painted wood stand, would fit appropriately among the other "fancy" household furniture of the period. This tub likely was used in a dressing room or bedroom.
For more information on bathing and bathtubs in the 19th and early 20th centuries, please see the introduction to this online exhibition.