Can Anyone Identify This?

[zippy-kat]

Here's the bkgrd info:

My grandpa gave me this 'thing' a few years ago. He wasn't even sure what it is! Whatever it is, it has been in the family as long as he can remember (and he's 92+yrs old).

The top is wood, the base is metal. There's no writing of anykind anywhere. The top 'pier' has 5 holes, the bottom 'pier' has 9. The holes are big enough to hold pencils/pens. (possibly pipes?) Can't tell if the wood is red or if it's the finish on it.

Any ideas? :confused:


Side view
http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v0/1/32/33/28513233SHamYEyhuW_ph.jpg


Top view
http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v0/1/18/44/28511844CDawcgvJXH_ph.jpg


Bottom View
http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v0/1/21/85/28512185vEZbDZIuAz_ph.jpg

[Pam]

Zippy, I have no idea but it sure looks like it is an antique and probably worth some $$! My mom watches a TV show called Antique Road Show and it looks like something you'd see on there! I would check with a local antique dealer and see what they say. Let us know because now we're curious!

[Logan]

That's exactly what I thought of, Pam, Antique Road Show. They'd know!! Good luck, Tonya. I'll be curious to hear what you find out too.

Logan

[jackiesdaisy1935]

At first I thought it was a pepper mill, but guess not. Wow, we all think alike, I love the Antique Road show, watch it whenever its on. Now you got us all curious, have to know what it is!!!!!!!!
Jackie

[Karen]

The base of it looks like a lamp base, and even has a hole where one could put a cord through, but the top has me confused! It looks like there may have been another piece that fits into those holes, perhaps? Because the base looks too heavy, too much "built for stability" and too ornate to just have that small wooden section above it ...

[gini]

I agree with Karen that the base looks like it was originally a lamp base. It looks old enough to be an oil lamp base.

It looks as though the top was created for a specific use in some profession. It could have held quills, vials??

Antique Roadshow - boy, talk about another addiction aside from Pet Talk. Don't you just love that show?

[zippy-kat]

Originally posted by Karen:
<STRONG>The base of it looks like a lamp base, and even has a hole where one could put a cord through...</STRONG>

I'm not sure if it's a lamp base or not. The holes don't run completely through; they are exactly 1.5 inches deep! :confused:

Phred gave me an idea, I'm going to take it back to skewl with me and see if the museum ppl know anything about it.

Antique Roadshow?! Mom and I love to watch that show! :D

[Karen]

I meant the metal part, not the wooden part. I don't think it was meant to hold pencils or quills, no one would a base that heavy to hold pencils! And if it were quills or vials of something, you can be sure there'd be ink or chemical stains on the wood.

Do the wooden pieces turn at all? And what soft of professions did your great-grandparents on that side have?

[gini]

Tonya, just for the fun, I logged onto www.antiqueroadshow.com (http://www.antiqueroadshow.com) and I didn't spend a lot of time there, but I bet you could download your picture to them and get an appraisal and your answer.

Worth a try, if it works. Also looks like a fun site.

Saturday calls with many errands, bye!

[zippy-kat]

Originally posted by Karen:
<STRONG>I meant the metal part, not the wooden part.</STRONG> Ok gotcha! ;)

<STRONG>Do the wooden pieces turn at all?</STRONG> nope! In the bottom pic you can see the screw--that sucker's in there tight! lol

<STRONG>And what soft of professions did your great-grandparents on that side have?</STRONG> Grandpa's fater owned a grist mill. He was sort of a jack of all trades--blacksmith, carpenter, etc. Alot of times customers traded 'things' in return for service. Grandpa's house is chock full of antiques--some of which he doesn't even know how he got!

Also, Grandpa's house was the first built in the valley. It served as a hotel/motel/stopping point between two communities. The bottom portion of the house is over 130yrs old. They then built an upstairs/attic and another kitchen a bit later. (If I remember right, at one time there were two kitchens and 6 bedrooms.) The state road tore down the barn when road construction began.

Another interesting tidbit, Grandpa was doing a few repairs one time and took down a board. On the back of the board was a name "Johnson" and it was dated 1890 (I think--18something anyway).

[Karen]

You can tell you're in the West - our house was built, theoretically, aroung 1890, and isn't even considered particularly old for this neck of the woods.

My parents' house is far older than that, probably about 150-200 years old, I'll ask Dad. When I was a kid, they had the house insulated and discovered in the process that the northeast corner post was a tree trunk, just planed on two sides, with the bark still on the rest of it!

For the heck of it, I'll ask Dad when I see him if he has any ideas what your "thing" is!

[lizbud]

WOW, the pictures and question is really
interesting..My guess would be a pipe stand;
but I really don't have a clue.Is there any
'smell' in the wood ? Also, are there any
ingraved or stamped dates or names on the
wood or the metal stand part?
Very interesting...

[Gepansy]

I remember when Grandpa gave that to you.
I know this is off subject, but I also remember when we would go to his house he would give you the newspaper comics and me candy! :D ;)

[zippy-kat]

Originally posted by Karen:
<STRONG>You can tell you're in the West -
</STRONG>

:) Karen, we're originally from WV! Yup, I'm a transplanted hillbilly! lol Grandpa and a few other family members still live back there. (We're considering going back this summer--hoping it's during the time of the OH PetTalk gathering!)
Wow! Your parent's house sounds really neat! Is their house put together with the square nails? Grandpa's is--I thought that was pretty nifty! His house is still pretty
old fashioned; no running water--gotta pump it (and yes, ya gotta use the outhouse! :o) Thanks in advance for checkin' with your dad!

Gini~ Thanks for the link! I just glanced at it earlier--gonna go back in a few and see if there's a way to send them the photos!

Lizbud~ Nope. No smell, no engraved areas, no names, no dates. lol This is gettin' more and more peculiar/interesting!

Maybe I should just set it on the coffee table as a conversation piece! lol

[gini]

Hi, back home again!

You sure have all of our curiousity up!

I just love very old homes. My relatives in Upper State New York all had no indoor plumbing, a pump in the kitchen and YES, the wonderful outdoor outhouse. And my Grandmother had the indoor "potty" and the cupboard it went in. I was really small, but I always wondered "what she did with it".

Just part of growing up on the farm and some of my most favorite memories.

[gini]

Tonya, your "thingy" has me curious. I wonder if it is a type of game that originally came with pegs. Just getting creative here.

[zippy-kat]

Gini--I had wondered the same thing! lol I'm back at home now. Gotta hit the books again--skewl starts on Wednesday!

I plan on emailing/dropping by our museum as soon as I can! Will let ya know as soon as I find out... ;)

[alexnell]

:confused:
A cigar holder, maybe made to match a lamp on some businessman's desk?

[Karen]

I don't think it's anything to do with cigars - the holes look too narrow, and cigars are happiest contained in a dark place. Dad's coming to lunch Wednesday, so I'll try to remember to ask him then!

[Corinna]

Gee Logan shouldn't thais be on Beyond pet talk it's not about a pet!!!!!!!!

[Karen]

Originally posted by Corinna:
<STRONG>Gee Logan shouldn't thais be on Beyond pet talk it's not about a pet!!!!!!!!</STRONG>

Technically it should be, but as she was good enough to put it in "General" not "Dog" "Cat" or "Pet" and she did the work to upload the pictures, I figured I'd let it slide! :)

[purrley]

:confused: Maybe a table leg??

[thelmalu99]

Tonya-
Any luck finding out what that thing is? Be sure to let us know when you do. This kind of thing makes me lose sleep, lol!

[lizbud]

Hello Zippy-cat,

Have you ever gotten someone to identify the
mystery item ? I stll would like to know. PLEASE !!! Thanks, Liz.

[zippy-kat]

Hi liz!

No luck yet. School just started and I was going to give things a chance to 'settle' down first. I'll probably try to get in contact with someone this Friday or early next week! Will let ya know, when (and if) I find out!;)

[carrie]

Please do!!!!!
This has got us all guessing!!!

I wondered if it might be for storing old fashioned scale weights....but then thought the holes would be of different sizes

My next thought was that it may be for storing lace making threads before winding onto dollies?

It may be a display stand for models?

It may be the bottom part of an umbrella stand or walking stick stand?

It's driving me nuts, anyway!!!!!!!

[lynnestankard]

Hello Zippy Cat

No news since 16th January - I've been following the musings on your Mystery Object (couldn't see the photos - shame) with great interest and it's gone very quiet - did you manage to get it to a museum or anywhere? Any chance of an update? I'm sure there are many Antique Roadshow fans waiting with bated breath!
:D :D
Lynne.

[zippy-kat]

Hi all! Thanks for the interest!

I'm taking it to the museum this afternoon...you will know as soon as I do!

(And Lynne, I'll try and post a pic. or two a bit later this afternoon...gotta run to work now!)

[thelmalu99]

Zip-I'm on the edge of my seat. (I'm not being sarcastic; that thing really is driving me crazy, LOL!):rolleyes:

[zippy-kat]

Turns out someone made the darn thing...for what? I still don't know....

The bottom half is a lamp base--they guessed from the 1870s. The top part is newer. The curator (sp?) guessed 1930s but I'm gonna have to argue that it's older than that. Grandpa was born about 1910ish (don't remember the exact date--hafta ask Mom) & it's been in the family before that.

Soooo...I know that it's been put together from two separate objects but I still don't know what it was used for! lol They guessed that it was a pencil holder but again I disagree b/c there's no lead markings in the holes. They also suggested it was used to hold flags/banners. This is a kewl idea but I picture it being used in a city/county/etc official's office...as far as I know, there was no one in the family who held/ran for an office.

Mom went with Pop to the dr today--I'll call her later this evenin' and see if she knows anyone who mighta been involved with politics or such.

[lizbud]

Hi Zippy,

Thanks for the info !! Didn't think the top wooden
part really "went with" the metal base part. The metal
part looks much to sturdy & heavy to be required to
support the carved out wooden piece..
Could very well be a flag holder or pen/pencil holder.
that someone acquired at a garage sale and then
put together with the base...

Thanks, I love these "brain teasers ". LOL. Liz.