Georgian silver stand

Hello, can anyone please tell me why this stand has folding legs, I presume its a kettle stand but why folding legs ? dates 1808 english
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I can’t give you a definitive answer, but folding legs would make it more portable. It may therefore have been part of a set designed to be packed away into a smaller volume for transportation - picnics or military use spring to mind as possible reasons.

Thanks for your reply which certainly makes sense, would the kettle stand be used as follows: hot water boiled in a standard iron kettle, the hot water then transferred to a silver kettle and placed on the kettle stand, a burner placed under the kettle to keep water hot ? and finally are Georgian silver kettle stands with folding legs unusual or rare ?