Antique Staffordshire porcelain cottage "Pastille" (incense) burner. In the 1800s pastilles were burnt to produce fragrant smells in an attempt to fumigate or deodorize what could often be very foul smelling air. A small chunk of incense or pastille was placed inside and lit, vapors would have travelled up through the chimney out into the room. It was believed that the foul odors of city life caused disease. As with most early Staffordshire, there no maker's mark.