# Precurser to Sterno?



## Maine Digger (Jun 19, 2004)

Hi all, here's a wonderful little item I found in a dig last year.  I'm guessing it's a container to hold a candle or burning oil beneath a food server? The dump it came out of was pre-1900, lots of broken pontils. I found out later that the old (95) guy next door had dug the dump back in the sixities. We still managed an umbrella ink, a few cures and this thing. Great craftsmanship, the frame is designed to look like twigs or perhaps heavy grape vines. The interior is zinc that may have been coated with copper at one time. It pivots on pins just above the grape clusters on each side. Time for confession, I did a big no, no [&:], I cleaned the vessal part with brass cleaner and promptly removed what apparently was gold leaf[]. Ouch! I really knew better but....sometimes you just screw up[8D]. Anyway, hope you like it![]


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## Maine Digger (Jun 19, 2004)

where did the pic go?[8D]


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## Maine Digger (Jun 19, 2004)

here's side view


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## Maine Digger (Jun 19, 2004)

close-up of grape cluster & pivot


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## Maine Digger (Jun 19, 2004)

and here's a shot with an apple to show scale, I got hungry[]


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## Maine Digger (Jun 19, 2004)

lasty, a top shot


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## Bluebelle (Jun 19, 2004)

Whatever it is, it's absolutely gorgeous! I'm thinking that if it were to hold something to heat, that it wouldn't pivot - I never saw anything that heated, like chafing dish etc, that didn't have a fixed and solid way to keep the heating stuff level. 
 With the grapes on the sides and the vine-type decorations, I'm wondering if it had something to do with serving wine. Thanks for sharing, and for letting me think out loud about the item.


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## drjhostetters (Jun 22, 2004)

Hey Norm...

 Could it possibly be an incense burner or an opium "sniffer"...kinda like a "...Tip it my way dude."..type of thing?  Just wondering...very unusual object....



 The Doc..[X(]


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## woody (Jun 22, 2004)

It looks like a revolving inkwell stand and the ink bottle would go inside of it.
 This way you could take the ink bottle out to refill it.


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## deepwoods (Jun 22, 2004)

Hey Norm, very cool find! Thats what I love about this hobby,you never know what will    pop up. The skeeters are absolutly beyond the pale this summer-too much rain.I tried to  dig the other day without repellant and I had to leave-they were killing me. Take Care.


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## Maine Digger (Jun 22, 2004)

I guess the reason I think it has something to do with food is the bundles of grapes. This was found in 1 of 4 dumps within 1/2 mile of my home.  As I mentioned before, the dump this came out of had been picked nearly clean in the late 60s. If I get an answer about what this is I'll let you all know![]


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## Harry Pristis (Jun 23, 2004)

My guess is that your object is a toothpick holder.

 We can't see from here how deep the little barrel is, nor can we judge just how big the apple is.  

 Just for fun, see how a modern toothpick fits this holder.

 ----------Harry Pristis


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## Maine Digger (Jun 23, 2004)

Hi Harry, I think you might be on to something![] The 'barrel' is approx. 2 1/4'' deep, overall height including the stand is a hair over 4''. I took your suggestion, a modern, Maine-made toothpick is about 2 9/16'', so the would protrude a little less than 1/2''.  The user can tip the barrel toward them on the axis for better access!  By George (or BY HARRY) I think He's Got It![8D]


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