What is it? Monday Edition

[Rob H.]

Here are a few visitor submitted items that won't make it to the web site for one reason or another, though I'm still curious as to their purpose.

A couple of these are kind of strange looking:

1. The only description that I got with this photo: "My uncle was given these when he was in France in the 50s, was told they where 500 yrs old."

doubt they are 500 years old, looks like souvenirs from Chatel Guyon, a city in France, not sure if they are vases or something else.

Any ideas on what they might be for?

[usablevirus]

"Rob H." scribbled:

item 3 looks like a pair of drums missing the drum cover. the metal parts on the side were used as tie downs to tie the drum cover in place.

[Sonny]

#2: Worm props for "Ooey-Gooey II" movie.

Sonny

[Rob H.]

Sounds like a good answer for them, I'll forward this to the owner and see what he thinks.

Thanks, Rob

[Stormin Mormon]

the big rod. A pencil sharpener, maybe?

CY: Seriously no clue. Does it smell like tobacco? Some what resembles a tobacco pipe. My second thought was some kind of early sex toy.

CY: Spitoon comes to mind?

[Steve B]

#3 look like spittoons. Not 500 years old, tho. Or flower planters.

Steve

[Don Piven]

I don't think so. You need to apply a fair amount of tension to the drumhead to keep it taut, and those metal things don't seem to be capable of hooking onto the ropes used to apply that tension.

I would wonder if those things weren't designed to sit inside a metal ring and the metal bits served to keep the whole thing from falling through the ring (and avoid abrading the artwork).

Don

[Sonny]

#3 - Further guessing: Folk Art containers, mugs. Some sort of goblet set for a special/particular occassion. The inscription, Gretal Guyon? Does this mean girl & boy? Would the set/pair have been presented to a couple as a wedding gift or such, or used for the occassion. The right one's decor seems to be of a party atmosphere, ie. dancing. I would think the decoration would give some indication of the setting for the gift or occassion, hinting of their use/purpose/ function.

Sonny

[Curlytop]

Rob H. set the following eddies spiralling through the space-time continuum:

way? If it does open I would like to know the shape of any hollow inside. It looks like some kind of mould.

Are there three or four hooks/clasps around the "base" of each one? If they were for chains to hang them somewhere I would only expect three. Trouble is, if there were chains hanging from a common point above the centre of the piece they would surely foul the "mouth".

Is the protuberance visible back left of the right-hand piece, some kind of spout or nozzie whereby the base may be filled with some liquid? (Are they oil lamps missing the metal fitting containing and controlling the wick?)

[Rob H.]

Now that you and several others have mentioned it, they do sort of look like spittoons, although most of those that I've seen are made of metal.

[Rob H.]

I think the text says Chatel Guyon but I emailed the owner and asked about it but haven't heard back yet.

[Rob H.]

Another odd item that was sent to me, maybe someone here will recognize it:

[Grumpy]

[dpb]

That was my first reaction, too...