ANY IDEAS??? FOUND/DUG AT VICTORIAN HOME-SITE!

[lonewolfe]

Can anyone here tell me exactly what these hand blown/pontail glass pieces are? They were dug today at an old Victorian home-site in the back yard. I got a weak high tone signal and started to dig when I hit a large leather type purse thing with some metal strapping and out popped these 3 things from the inside (or what was left of it). I brought them home and ran them thru the dish washer and tried to research them via the net but no luck.

Any/all help appreciated!

Thanks :-)

 

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[creskol]

Decorative blown glass pears?

 

[charlives]

I not sure, but they look like early fire extinguishers. My fatherinlaw had them hanging on the wall. You'd throw the glass at a fire and the water would extinguish the fire.

 

[creskol]

I not sure, but they look like early fire extinguishers. My fatherinlaw had them hanging on the wall. You'd throw the glass at a fire and the water would extinguish the fire.

Wouldn't there have to have been some way to fill them?

 

[maxpower]

if they have liquid inside of them, then yes i'd say fire grenades

 

[lonewolfe]

if they have liquid inside of them, then yes i'd say fire grenades

No water/liquid inside of them but from looking around the internet - it seems they very well could be early fire grenades as I've found pics of some that are close in style/etc.

Maybe the water evaporated??

 

[Silver Searcher]

Are they not just unfinished glass bowls..

SS

 

[creskol]

No water/liquid inside of them but from looking around the internet - it seems they very well could be early fire grenades as I've found pics of some that are close in style/etc.

Maybe the water evaporated??

How would the water have gotten in them? If there is no filler hole and the glass is a sealed unit, how would the water have evaporated?

 

[lonewolfe]

How would the water have gotten in them? If there is no filler hole and the glass is a sealed unit, how would the water have evaporated?

Not sure where the water would have went or how but

on the top of them there's a "stopper/top" made of glass that was inserted and sealed/melted onto/into the globes so it's very likely that these are what the guy above suggested (fire grenades/extinguishers).

I've also been doing research and there's many others on the net with pictures that look very similar including some I just found on eBay selling between $100 and $300 EACH!!

These are very old - found on a Victorian home-site and from what I've read - the very early ones were hand blown colored glass (as these are) and used until approx. 1900 unlike the later versions (circa 1930s) that were mass produced and are clear glass with a colored coating (and which sell for around $50).

 

[Sheldon J]

No water/liquid inside of them but from looking around the internet - it seems they very well could be early fire grenades as I've found pics of some that are close in style/etc.

Maybe the water evaporated??

It wasn't water, but something much more volatile like Carbon Tet, What ever it was my father in law said he used one years ago, threw it in a room that was totally involved and poof the flames went out, they did re kindle after what ever was in the thing ventilated out, and yes it did save the house. Toxicity was an issue though very bad stuff from what he said....

 

[Paleopilot]

Those are throwable "fire grenades". I have some very similar ones called "Red Comet". Be very careful with them as they are filled with Carbon Tetrachloride, (a known carcinogen).

 

[lonewolfe]

Those are throwable "fire grenades". I have some very similar ones called "Red Comet". Be very careful with them as they are filled with Carbon Tetrachloride, (a known carcinogen).

These are empty (don't know how or why) as there's no holes or cracks or anything for any liquid to have leaked out and/but on the other hand - from all I've read in researching these things - the older ones (hand blown colored glass) like these ones (unlike Red Comet/etc. of the 1930s/40s/50s) were filled with salt water/saline.

Am I missing something?? Are they filled with a colorless gas??

 

[BuckleBoy]

I once saw a red glass fire grenade out in the open at an antique store, and I said to them "aren't you going to keep this in a glass case?" They looked at me like I was crazy, then I said "Do you know what happens if someone were to drop this in here?" Now, I'd like to see a better photo of the tops of these. I am going to side with decorative glass pears.

By the way, NEVER put an old historical bottle, or even something you suspect to be old, through the dishwasher. Or at least not unless you enjoy cleaning glass shards out of it. The fact that these survived the dishwasher, and have no signs of "sickening" in the glass, tells me that they are much more modern.

Glass pears are my vote.

-Buck

 

[nhbenz]

I've gotta' agree with decorative glass pears. Water can't disappear out of a sealed glass vessel, it would condense and turn back to liquid, which is why the old ones are still full unless there were a leak. If there were a leak then some amount of water would have gotten in while in the dishwasher. The caps wouldn't be on them if they were incomplete fire grenades. They also wouldn't have the pear stems curving to the side which could easily catch on the holder when being employed in a hurry. And, they just look too much like pears.
I do wish they were something more exciting, but for whatever reason some people do like to have glass fruit, which is a whole other mystery.

 

[Paleopilot]

Can anyone here tell me exactly what these hand blown/pontail glass pieces are? They were dug today at an old Victorian home-site in the back yard. I got a weak high tone signal and started to dig when I hit a large leather type purse thing with some metal strapping and out popped these 3 things from the inside (or what was left of it). I brought them home and ran them thru the dish washer and tried to research them via the net but no luck.

Any/all help appreciated!


Thanks :-)

Here is a Red Comet Grenade minus it's label and holder...

 

[DCMatt]

I've gotta' agree with decorative glass pears. Water can't disappear out of a sealed glass vessel, it would condense and turn back to liquid, which is why the old ones are still full unless there were a leak. If there were a leak then some amount of water would have gotten in while in the dishwasher. The caps wouldn't be on them if they were incomplete fire grenades. They also wouldn't have the pear stems curving to the side which could easily catch on the holder when being employed in a hurry. And, they just look too much like pears.
I do wish they were something more exciting, but for whatever reason some people do like to have glass fruit, which is a whole other mystery.

Hand blown glass fruit.




DCMatt

 

[vhs07]

In case anyone is interested,...here is a wall mount holder for the Red Comet grenades.


Charles

 

[dieselram94]

It could be these are fishing balls from a fishing net but probably not.

 

[Paleopilot]

In case anyone is interested,...here is a wall mount holder for the Red Comet grenades.
View attachment 712270 View attachment 712271 View attachment 712272

Charles

Very cool! That's the holder with the Automatic "deployment" system. Very high tech, heat from the fire melts the spring-keeper and releases the plunger that breaks the glass.
I sent you a PM.