Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

Tongue in Cheek’s Cheeky Guessing Game: What is that old object anyway?

brocante Secrets

As she didn't know what to wear, she wore nothing.

Just thought I'd share that with you to spark your imagination for the latest guessing game.

Do you know what these are?

The first one who guesses correctly with a description and the name of this object will be the lucky winner. I will also pick one creative answer winner as well, and give a gift too. If you would like to play the guessing game, leave your answer, or creative response in the comment section. I will announce the winners tomorrow.

fountain in Cotignac

Could this be a clue?

test tube drinks

Or is this a clue?
Test tube drinks….

Or does Lady Godiva hold the secret to the Guessing Game?

Happy Guessing.

_______________________

Later Note:

Many have guessed the answer, the first one who guessed will receive the Prize.

The creative answer is up for grabs, and another pot like above, will go to the lucky winner.

A third prize will go to the first one who can tell me the name in French.

Comments

96 responses to “Tongue in Cheek’s Cheeky Guessing Game: What is that old object anyway?”

  1. DesertNana

    Hi Corey
    Could these be lovely chamber pots??
    Easter Blessings from Joshua Tree
    Xo

    Reply
  2. Britt-Arnhild

    I suppose it can’t be as easy as “sausnebb” which is the Norwegian name for the china holding the sauce during dinner. Leave it and eat the meat naked 😉

    Reply
  3. Tace

    They look like neti pots, for cleansing the sinus and nose!

    Reply
  4. Jann

    Are these neti pots, that you fill
    with warm water and pour through one
    nostril, then the water cleans out
    your sinuses and drains through the
    other nostril….seems gross, but
    they have shown how it works on t.v.,
    and it supposedly helps. I don’t think
    I could manage it myself.
    Jann

    Reply
  5. Amanda Berry

    I first thought watering can, then I thought, gravy boat, but I think I will have to go with pee pot, or should I say chamber pot 🙂

    Reply
  6. Nancy

    Although it looks just like a sauce/gravy boat, my guess is that it’s an Invalid or Infant feeder. Also known as Pap Boats or Pap Feeders.

    Reply
  7. Victoria

    I believe they were used to feed invalids. Pureed foods, obviously. Ugh.

    Reply
  8. Victoria

    These are “invalid feeders” and were used to feed the sick who needed liquid or pureed nourishment. Smaller sizes were sometimes used for infants.

    Reply
  9. Limner

    Hi,
    My guess is a Neti Pot. 😀

    Reply
  10. Janus

    Well, they look like those nose cleaning things.. ooh so gross. 2 previous posts are guessing the same. Netti pots.

    Reply
  11. Julie M ~ The Little Red Shop

    Very uncomfortable open-toed shoes…for the poor man’s Cinderella.
    : )
    Julie M.

    Reply
  12. Karon

    Hi Cory
    In a land far far away, and in a different time line altogether these strange pots are actually the fountain fillers for the mystical mountain. The little people would each carry a water filledpot all the way up the fearsome mountain and at the top the spout of the pot would fit into the magic stone. Then the water would tip into the fountain. As it did it would turn to ‘Hope’, ‘Happiness’ and ‘Sunshine’ and flow from the magical fountain all the way down the mountainside and into the little village where the little people live. They will then drink from this magical alixer and enjoy the benefits of hope, happiness and sunshine.
    alternatively it could be a rather aged form of enema pot, whereby a hose was attached to the end, water put in the jug, the hose put in the botty and the water poured down the hose to ‘flush you out’, yuch!
    Karon

    Reply
  13. Chris

    Maybe used for refilling oil lamps or perfume bottles!

    Reply
  14. Carol

    Oh dear, I guess the early bird Nancy got the worm.
    Yes, they are invalid feeders. These look like pottery, but I’ve also seen them in enamel ware.

    Reply
  15. LibbyWNZ

    What an array of pee pots!!!!
    Great clues, Corey.

    Reply
  16. Irina

    used for a quick washing of private parts when bidet didn’t have running water.
    🙂

    Reply
  17. Jeanne

    My guess is Neti pots.
    Love you
    Jeanne

    Reply
  18. kathy woods

    Hi Corey
    I am guessing watering cans!
    Kathy

    Reply
  19. Jackie

    Hospital pee pots for a teeny weeny:)
    jackie
    bliss farm antiques

    Reply
  20. Jackie

    hospital pee pots for a teeny weeny:)
    Jackie
    Bliss Farm Antiques

    Reply
  21. Barbara

    Hi Corey,
    It’s been too long since I’ve visited your site..shame on me…
    I think the little items with a spout have something to do with your ears..cleaning them or something…
    as for the lady, might she belong on the front of a car…

    Reply
  22. Susan

    More and more doctors in the US are prescribing neti pots for sinus problems. All the old is new again. I have one from Germany, at least 150+ years old.

    Reply
  23. Annie

    Are they urinals for males? or watering utensils for bulb plants?

    Reply
  24. Carol L

    They are a recently unearthed batch of French Aladdin’s lamps. Rub their sides and be magically transported to a Paris patisserie where everything is delicious and calorie free !

    Reply
  25. Ida from South Africa

    It’s waterbowls.
    It was first use in the 11th century by Lady Godiva. Her husband said that if Lady Godiva truly believed in reducing the taxes of Coventry (in England), she must offer them an example of the glorious beauty of a perfect human body.
    Godiva’s proficiency as a horsewoman was well known. With all that horse-back riding, she had lost a lot of weight and looked *ahem* good. (Are you on your way to riding lessons already? Ha-ha!)
    But to show that beauty, she had to be REALLY CLEAN… – from head to toe. So, while she was washing vigorously, bowl after bowl of water was throwing on her to rinse away every speckle of dirt.
    Then she rode, wearing nothing, through the streets of Coventry. She sat straight in the saddle with a look of composure on her face – relaxed, confident & unashamed.
    After that, the water bowls became as famous as the lady herself.

    Reply
  26. Laure

    Why, those are FLY pots!!
    When faeries are quite young and learning to FLY it is very important that they learn to fly with ease, grace, wit and beauty. To human eyes this flight is effortless, but the faeries know that this may make all the difference in whether they are captured or survive an attempt to capture them!
    So back to the training…..these pots are used to teach them correct posture and proper maneuvering. You see, “colored water” is placed into the basin and when the young faery makes an incorrect move, the fluid dribbles or splashing down on their heads and onto their faces – very effective training!
    The pots are also rather ungainly so it requires a great deal of skill and effort to zoom and dart, stop in a second and pirouette! They must be able to go through complicated routines without spilling nary a drop before they are given their official “flight wings” and a license to fly! And it is with much delight, that we observe their antics, never the wiser about the FLY pots!

    Reply
  27. Christine Wittmann

    Those are invalid feeding cups, I used to collect them when I lived in England, alas they were left behind along with most all my possesions when I left in 1978.
    Chris

    Reply
  28. billie haffey

    Ahhck! I think they are Neti pots but…. so many of them! My hubbie brought one home and it has been hiding on top of the cabinet in the bathroom since! We are sort of scared. I had no idea they were around so long…Lady Godiva huh?? I may need to try one of the shot thingies first! : D

    Reply
  29. Christine Wittmann

    I might also add they were popular in Victorian and Edwardian times…. 🙂 It made feeding invalids alot less messy.
    Chris

    Reply
  30. Julie Ann Evins

    Joyeuses Paques Coco. Keith says for pee-ing. Would make nice watering cans for house plants tho, Jx

    Reply
  31. Sue

    For feeding the infirm?

    Reply
  32. susan

    they hold water to rinse hair with after shampooing

    Reply
  33. Penny

    Invalid feeders! Broth or tea or whatever would go inside and could be sipped abed from the spout. You have a lot of clever readers who have figured this out. I’ll have to think of something clever – or just sip my tea and enjoy the conversation going on here.

    Reply
  34. Evelyn

    it’s a neti pot for nasal irrigation

    Reply
  35. Lorelei

    Hello Corey….They look similar to an invalid cup sitting in my China Cupboard.
    Thanks for the guessing game!
    Lorelei****

    Reply
  36. patty

    I am guessing a nasal lavage
    for clearing the sinuses after a dusty day at the brocante

    Reply
  37. Cheri

    my guess is a neti pot and much prettier than anyone I’ve ever seen. I would keep flowers in it until I needed it for it’s intended use 🙂

    Reply
  38. cyndy

    Hi there! Those look like Neti Pots. Something you would use in the privacy of your bathroom to clear you nose.

    Reply
  39. Lorelei

    Hi Corey, are they for invalids to drink from or perhaps babies to drink from when they were weaned….

    Reply
  40. Jeanette M.

    I guess being from Arizona, I’m the only one who really knows what they are – “prickly pourers” for watering cactus of course. Sometimes you just can’t get to close.

    Reply
  41. Carol

    I think these are bed pans as my Grandmother so lovingly called them!

    Reply
  42. Paula S In New Mexico

    For watering African Violets.

    Reply
  43. Marilyn

    My first thought was a Neti Pot to clean the sinus’s.
    But I really think they are for serving fairies tea in their small flower teacups. You need something that will pour in a dependable direction and these pots will do just that.

    Reply
  44. Pamela pamela

    ok everyone else said Netty pots so I am going for the creative answer…..
    they are for hollandaise sauce .. to pour onto an asparagus while holding it daintily with an asparagus tong…Hollandaise in the left hand ..tong in the right..one leaned down ever so gently and bit the tip off first….then slowly continued down the stalk….making the entree an event…

    Reply
  45. martina

    Fat separators? The fat in sauces-not body fat! Though I do agree with many others, that they are for feeding invalids.

    Reply
  46. Cheryl ~ Casual Cottage Chic

    I’m a bit late reading this and have no chance at winning one of these 19th Century ceramic feeders, but if you or your readers want more information on medical ceramics check out a book “Crellin’s Collection” by John K. Crellin. Many of the fancy ones were finished with a blue transferware design or left plain like your collection.
    Have a wonderful day!

    Reply
  47. Cheryl ~ Casual Cottage Chic

    A bit more information on the “invalid feeders”: A liquid or semi-soft food was placed in the feeder and the spout was then placed in the person’s mouth. In the movie “The English Patient” the use of a feeder was shown in a brief flashback.
    Cheers!
    Cheryl

    Reply
  48. elle

    I think they are to feed those that are sick–probably some sort of broth stuff!! they would make a great vase!!!

    Reply
  49. Marlene Brady

    Nasal pot. Cleans out your sinuses. – Marlene

    Reply
  50. Kimberly C.

    Those are netty pots, used to clear the nasal sinuses.

    Reply
  51. Donna O

    Theses are little shoes for walking upon water. When the water gets too full it trickles out the toe! When you get to your destination, you hang them up to dry by the handles. Those French think of everything!!
    D.

    Reply
  52. christine

    Hi Corey – these look like Netty Pots to me.
    Hope you had a lovely easter.
    Christine F

    Reply
  53. annie

    They are fancy chamber pots for the well-heeled individual. LOL

    Reply
  54. cynthia Wolff @Beatenheart

    whew, way too late here on the West Coast!!!! They are invalid feeders…

    Reply
  55. Brenda L from TN

    As most all on here can tell you…those are neti pots…I have heard them referred to as invalid feeders but they are neti pots…used to clear sinuses.

    Reply
  56. cynthia Wolff @Beatenheart

    Primative form of birth control…fill this vessel with vinegar and warm water. Use as a douche…repeat…say a prayer…cross your fingers…hope for the best,

    Reply
  57. Carole

    are they maybe be for Holy water..a container to fill bottles of Holy Water?

    Reply
  58. marilyn king

    I think it’s a netti pot…to clear the sinuses.

    Reply
  59. Maggie

    Haha, they are Aladdin God Lamp!!!
    Let me rub the lamp…
    Watch out! The Genie just broke the lid and appeared right in front of us…
    My 3 wishes are,
    1st: let my answer be the most creative one
    2nd: For all ladies participating this funny guess game, they will be receiving blessings from Genie to have their hopes come true from time to time ..
    3rd: Corey’s online brocante will be filled with treasures all the time!!!!
    Wow, let’s fly with Magic during this happy Easter

    Reply
  60. Susan

    chargeur non valide

    Reply
  61. Susan

    or more officially called, bateau de PAP.

    Reply
  62. constance lefevre forehand

    water vials for medicine

    Reply
  63. Jen

    In its everyday life, it’s the pitcher for pouring water into the hookah at the Casbah. In its secret life, it’s the magic lamp that get rubbed for three wishes.

    Reply
  64. Patt

    Netty Pot.

    Reply
  65. FrenchBlue

    I think they are urinals from a hospital. I gave one as a gift once to my highend client. I was so embarrased… she told me it was a urinal. Oh gosh, I tried so hard to give her just the right thing and it was so wrong!!
    XO

    Reply
  66. Denise Solsrud

    it is a nettie pot, (i’m sure) for the sinuses. you fill it with water/slat solution and put the little hole in the nostril and flush it on through to break up the gook to be able to breathe. and it truly works,but i did not use a nettie pot. they are expensive. but…………i am too late with the answer. if i am wrong, i will eat it, the pot,that is. 🙂 🙂 🙂 i speak foolushly. Bestest,Denise

    Reply
  67. Denise Solsrud

    i am sorry, i should proof read my written blogs. correction, you fill the nettie pot with a water/salt solution. wouldn’t want to give out false info. when it comes to your health. 🙂 again, bestest,Denise

    Reply
  68. Marci

    Urinals. Male bed pans.

    Reply
  69. Carol L

    Are they called “chargeur invalide” ?

    Reply
  70. Terri

    Since the lady is naked – it’s a neti pot to use for nasal irrigation because of her cold!

    Reply
  71. Sharon

    the little vials look like they are filled with Lemoncello.

    Reply
  72. Jean Wright

    Unfortunately, I believe it is a urinal. I think it’s too large for a neti pot.

    Reply
  73. Rhonda Podlesak

    wow those are huge neti pots…I thought they were gravy boats….LOL

    Reply
  74. Julie W.

    My mother used to say, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” So true for these ingenious ‘batteaux’ for feeding pap or liquid sustenance to babies or invalids. Lovely and intriguing photos, Corey.
    Many have named the correct use. I vote for Donna O’s creative answer, “little shoes for walking upon water”…so clever.
    Love these guessing games!!!
    Julie W.

    Reply
  75. Ciretta

    I am going with invalid pots, although, sadly, I am not the only one who thinks so and my comment is quite tardy!

    Reply
  76. Beverly

    Just checking in to see the many wonderful answers…I’m not very good at your guessing games!

    Reply
  77. yvonne

    Yes PEE Peee Urinals

    Reply
  78. Ana Maria

    I think they are adult invalid feeders (in France, usually called a ” canard de malade “, because it is shaped like a duck). The ones used for children were also called “biberons”.

    Reply
  79. Em

    bidet de nez
    le pot du neti

    Reply
  80. Ana Maria

    Yes! I was the first one to tell you the name in French!!!! Un canard de malade!!!!
    1st clue: The lady, although surrounded by beautiful towels, refused to dry herself with one (because they were her highly-prized vintage towels) and so she caught a terrible cold.
    2nd clue: (That one was so easy!) The water coming out of the mouth of the statue imitates the “projectile vomiting” we all suffered last week when my 18-month old grandson caught a virus and gave it to the entire family!
    3rd clue: Anti-brocante drug being developed in a secret underground lab by evil scientists who are being paid by husbands worldwide rebelling against the “stuff” that appears in their homes and when asked about, their wives respond, “Oh that honey? We’ve had that for years, you just never noticed it before.”

    Reply
  81. Louise

    Honestly this is all I can see in your photo… I’m envisioning a woman named Mary Magdalene, washing Jesus feet with oil and her tears… and I envision a poor widow woman and her only son, who were told by a Prophet to gather all the leftover oil from her neighbors’ cruets to pay for their debts.

    Reply
  82. Emily

    Tea pots for demitasse cups!

    Reply
  83. sandy

    I say pee pee pot. When I first saw the item I thought wow what a long spouted gravy boet.

    Reply
  84. Franca Bollo

    C’est une inseminator, bien sur!

    Reply
  85. Franca Bollo

    Well … she IS naked.

    Reply
  86. Denise Solsrud

    i have to write again. i am loving all the answers. they are all good and crack me up. that one about boots to walk in the water is so clever. that would make a good story for kids,but needs to be longer in story. Bestest,Denise

    Reply
  87. Kristy

    Little faerie slippers!!!!

    Reply
  88. michael

    why do i suspect these are for pouring water down inside absynthe glasses?

    Reply
  89. Laura

    I stopped typing when I read Donna’s ‘Little shoes for walking.” I’m out of the game. Well done!
    Laura
    SF

    Reply
  90. Catalina

    it is a “saucière” (for the sauce to pour) it has probably 2 parts inside to pour the gravy or the sauce without it (because the gravy will be at the upper side (floats…)
    🙂
    but of course it could be a magic lamp…a water one, actually you put a floating candle inside and the light just “pours” out giving magic to people on their tea
    🙂
    (they have to wish at the same time is pouring) and use a blue ribbon

    Reply
  91. clare honan

    I don’t know it’s name, but you fill it with warm water, tip your head sideways and put the spout next to one nostril then the other to clean out your nasal passages.

    Reply
  92. barbara gillies

    umm i was gonna say a urinal for men. but then read the nose one and knew i was wrong.i like the idea of men peeing in a cute little pot of ceramic bliss and then when you toss it the spout is long enough to not smell or get to close.. ok i am over the top. visuals are a bit much i agree. enuf said

    Reply
  93. Lynn Warren

    For certain these are magical geni lamps but unfortunately, the geni has already escaped.
    Still, genis are unpredictable and willful. Perhaps there’s still a wish or two for you.

    Reply
  94. Karinka Calhoun

    I believe the correct answer is a “bourdaloue” (chamber pot) which were used by ladies when attending long church services (always standing) so they could relieve themselves. Many were highly decorated A good reference is: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-bourdaloue.htm. The movie “Vatel” set during the sun king’s reign(Louis XIV) shows the queen using one. One of my acquaintances actually went to a formal dinner party in New York where one was used as a gravy boat. The hostess was mortified when she learned what its original use had been.

    Reply
  95. J.Me.

    I was thinking a neti pot (the thing you use to clear your nasal passages) OR an olden times bidet…

    Reply
  96. cindy

    Isn’t it a water pot to add water to a glass with Absint? I recall these jars standing on countertops in French bars…

    Reply

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