"Is it a snuff box… or for for smelling salts?" Marcie guessed.
Karinka thought it might be, "…a small
container (which must have had at one time a stopper), for the ceremony
to carry the water in with which a priest christens a baby… then
afterward the mother has it for a perpetual keepsake in which she can
keep a lock of her childs hair." Isn't that clever? Unfortunately, it isn't true.
Jackie, thought maybe a Chatalaine might have owed it. That is true enough, but not the full answer.
"Is it for sewing needles?" asked Merisi. It isn't, because needles are too long.
"Is it a carnet de ball?" Some of you guessed, though it doesn't open, nor can it hold paper.
Many of you asked, "Is it missing a stopper, or cork or pencil?" I think it is missing the cork.
"Is it a flask?" Questioned Elizabeth.
Other responses included: An inkwell (though inside it is not stained with ink) a flower holder, a toothpick holder, a Pez holder… and "Did it to hold perfume?" Alexis asked.
Laura from 52 flea was the first person to say it was a Match Safe, such as a "Vesta" but it is more than that…. Ana Maria described: "… a Vesta case (named after the goddess of the
hearth). The matches were kept in the small container
and one would strike them against the side. The lady of the house also
kept one to light the hearth.
Though there isn't any grooves, to strike a match on the side. When I
looked closer at it, it is rough feeling, and I assume the person who
cleaned it rubbed the rough sandy part off.
THE RIGHT AND FULL ANSWER goes to:
Ed from Willows, gave a full description, "It's a
Re-usable match or lighter. A metal stem with a wick would be in the
hole. A flammable liquid would be kept inside and the wick would be kept
wet. On the side, there is usually a flint in the grove. You would pull
out the stem and strike it down the flint causing a spark. The spark
would ignite the wick. After using the flame, you would blow it out and
stick the stem back into the hole so the wick would soak up more liquid.
I used to have a modern version of this when I was in Boy Scouts."
I took the silver thing over to my friend Annie's house, I wanted her opinion:
She said, "It is for cocaine…" (A few of you, such as "Weaverbec" thought the same thing,
Before she could finish her thought I teasingly said, "Annie how do you know about that?"
She rolled her eyes, and said, "I am ninety remember, I know a few things."
"Cocaine," I teased?
"No, I never tried it, but this looks like it would be quite handy to hold cocaine. Though it is missing a small stopper, and maybe on the side there use to be something to sniff with…"
Then she added, "It is for poison and the side part held a dropper…. you know poison comes in small packages. A little goes a long way."
I searched the internet and did not find anything remotely similar. Though many of you sent me links, showing lovely things, none were like the object I have.
Massilianana's creative guess takes home the creative prize her response was:
"Easy-peasy
, this is a XIXth century COMPAGNON DE PROMENADE. It was used by
elegant ladies who were going on a hike in the country.
The unusual side actually perfectly fits the top and finer part of the
already fine and elegant ladies walking stick ( usually, if you are a
lucky , you can find both items in the brocantes).
The purpose of the hole is the fill the silvery thingy with
water(usually from any spring encountered) and when the ladies would
pick some of those light, fine , lovely wild flowers that you find in
the country, they would stick the flowers in so they would keep fresh
until the ladies' return home.
As for the little loop, the ladies would use it to tie their
hats' ribbons: they would put the stick into the ground , firmly , then
hang the hat to the loop and off they'd go to bathe their feet in a tiny
fresh stream , and then they would have picnic in the shade…"
Katy, your response was beautiful too. "A lovely little vessel to hold a dying person's last breath." Conny, had a similar idea, thinking "it might hold tears of a loved one."
Beachy you made me laugh when you said, "…the tiny
hole on top was to store her perfume. She would sneak to her lover's
door late at night, knock gently without saying a word… her lover
would walk over to his side of the door… she would place a drop of her
perfume into the door's keyhole and he would then take a sniff…" And Christina y. Ginsberg made me laugh too with, "A 19th
century tic-tac dispenser…." Black Purl you too got my funny bone, "I think
this beautiful object was a cruel device used by husbands whose wives
like to go to the Brocante! I think it was used as a money box (a small
slide is missing from the open side) and that hole was there to taunt
the woman while she tried in vain to get the thing to open. She could
*see* the money, but not get to it. Cruel husband…"
Thank you for your wonderful responses.
Mass
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