Dug up a strange clay jar on the beach in California

D

dsh3c0x

Greenie
Jan 5, 2015
11
3
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I'm trying to figure out what this thing is. My girlfriend dug it out of the sand at low tide. It's about .5 meters long, made of very rough unglazed clay, hollow; open on the left end (top is broken off, not found). The two holes on the left impinge on the cavity, so obviously it can't be used to store a liquid. I'll post a better description after I clean it up and take better pictures.
beach_jar.jpg

*Update 2015/01/08*
Below are a few pictures of the thing in full profile. Banana and soda bottle for scale. As you can see, the jar was pinched together, not turned on a wheel. Definitely not made by a craftsman.
IMG_0389.jpgIMG_0378.jpgIMG_0379.jpg

Bottom markings, with a positive clay impression for clarity.
IMG_0386.jpgbottom_closeup.jpgIMG_4629_positive.jpg

Details of the top set of holes, which purposely go through to the cavity (i.e. there weren't any spouts that broke off, or anything like that.)
IMG_4633.jpgIMG_4636.jpgIMG_4641.jpg

Details of the embellishments. The brown glaze was applied pretty thickly.
IMG_0381.jpgIMG_0382.jpg

And lastly, details of the broken top.
IMG_0385.jpgIMG_4637.jpg
 

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My 'guess' would be a vessel made in high school Art Class that has a Native American style/motif. The holes could have been made for lacing rawhide, which could have held feathers, beads, etc.

WELCOME to the forum!

Interesting find :)
Breezie
 

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This isn't going to help on I.D but it might explain the holes into the inside. If the piece was fired in a kiln or fired in any way, and since it has glaze it has been fired, if there wasn't a hole to the interior of the vessel it would have shattered during firing.
 

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i think the hole in the top would be sufficient.
 

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If it is some type of African burial vase and made of fired CLAY, how did it survive being tossed around in the ocean from Africa to Florida or survive the ocean from where ever point A was to point B? I think it was a recent deposit. If it were aged, there would be barnacles as well as other ocean life attached to it. It looks too clean to be very old. The decorative dark brown paint has very few scatches to be rubbed around by the ocean.

:)
Breezie
 

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It sort of looks like my 7th grade art project, except slightly mine was way worse:laughing7:.

It think I remember throwing it in the ocean, I could not stand looking at it.
 

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I vote for either macrame or leather thongs being involved in hanging it originally, but would like to see another picture of the top opening. It seems so small. As to what it was doing on a beach, it could have had a second purpose as a cremation urn? (if you keep the remains in their bag, it doesn't matter that there were holes in it)
 

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Breezie said:
If it is some type of African burial vase and made of fired CLAY, how did it survive being tossed around in the ocean from Africa to Florida or survive the ocean from where ever point A was to point B? I think it was a recent deposit. If it were aged, there would be barnacles as well as other ocean life attached to it. It looks too clean to be very old. The decorative dark brown paint has very few scatches to be rubbed around by the ocean.

:)
Breezie
Click to expand...

not African per se.... African inspired
 

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Back-of-the-boat said:
The top has been broken, I believe it had been a sealed top.IMO
Click to expand...

The top may have been sealed, but those two holes lead me to believe it wasn't meant to be sealed. I'll add a better picture of them to the original post so you can see what I mean.
 

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I'm gonna say a buddhist or hindu insense holder. the kind you see hanging on ropes and they swing them as they walk
fits since there have been many in this country for over a hundy years
 

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Bronze button with a child and a hunting dog and ornaments on the edge

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