I found this when going through some old stuff. An 18 pound iron of the type that used to sit in coals to get hot. One of the first jobs an apprentice would have would be carrying this thing back and forth, and swapping out the press cloth which would keep the dirty iron from soiling the garment.
Thank god for electric irons.
It's a great piece of art-meets-function ironmongery though. The twisted handle is a beauty.