Little metal jug/pitcher?

[treblehunter]

I got a permission the other day and was detecting it. The owner brought out a little pitcher he had found in North central Jersey as a kid. He asked if I knew anything about this piece. Looks almost like painted metal. I'm going to e-mail him a link to this thread, maybe he can sign up to elaborate more. I didn't get to put a magnet to it. Looked like steel to me from scratches on it.
Any help would be appreciated?

Thank you in advance, Brad

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[trdking]

My first thought was kids toy. But with the hole in the bottom it could be a patent model submitted with a patent application?

 

[G.A.P.metal]

looks to be pewter,and old !
Gary

 

[nhbenz]

Hmm, The bottom tapers in a way that it looks like maybe it sat on top of a larger vessel? ...not that I can make sense of it, but it looks like it was meant to sit in or on a particular something?

 

[treblehunter]

My first look, I thought pewter. All the pewter I've seen came out of the ground was couple hundred years old was very brittle and fallen to pieces. Just hoping the owner will chime in. I don't think he has read his e-mail yet?
This metal is very hard, scrape on it was clean shiny looking steel?

 

[nhbenz]

I think my above idea was off base... And speaking of off base, I wonder if this had a pedestal base that broke off, taking a chunk with it? Or an attached drip tray like a syrup dispenser might have, that broke off?

 

[Breezie]

I think it might be part of an antique pewter spout lamp. There was a base that went on the bottom. Some of them had a spout and other were flat at the top. Yours appears to have had an attachment at the top as well as at the bottom.
https://www.google.com/search?q=ant...NL_ggT5_4CQBw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAg&biw=800&bih=478



Neat find
Breezie

 

[DCMatt]

I'm thinking... not a pitcher or jug of any kind.

Maybe it had a rod running through it and the loop was used to hook a rope or chain. My first thought was "singletree", but I couldn't find anything remotely close. Then I thought a tie-down for canvas or part of a lawn canopy. Again, I can't prove it. But I don't think it is/was a pitcher.



DCMatt

 

[ARC]

I have been quietly "stunned" by this...
For the past hour I have been transfixed...

To me... right from rip... I thought "powder flask/tankard"...
Then I thought "salt tankard"... on and on...
This piece is a REAL mystery piece... It has a "look" of LOTS of things.
From LOTS of periods...
This IS a very strange piece man.
You may really be holding something very cool... OR
In other words...
"It has the look"
This piece has much to tell.

One word...
Super.

PS> The word "Spanish" (although Likely English) was included in some searches .

 

[CoinandRelicMan]

My guess would be candle holder, is there any reason a candle holder cannot be made out of pewter ? Or is the diameter of the top hole a bit too small to hold a old time candle ?

 

[RW]

I am down with the candle holder theory. Missing the wax catcher on bottom. Maybe even oil lamp?

 

[ARC]

Yeah oil lamp was a poss as well... hmm maybe try some more searches heh

 

[RW]

Yah, "Whale Oil Burner" gets some close examples...

 

[ARC]

The reason I do not think it is "fire" related is because...

"handle" is too close to top...
If you notice things that were used to contain fire... the handles are always lower... For the obvious purpose / reason.

 

[RW]

True but it would have had in insert for a wick holder that went up a few inches. Or maybe it was the original single serving creamer and got tossed ha.

 

[ARC]

Heh... this crossed my mind as a 1960's repop from Williamsburg... that was thown in a cement mixer... poured into a foundation for ten years... house burned... dug up foundation then was tossed into ocean for artificial reef... but only stayed in water for a week until storm washed into river which carried it downstream to flood zone where it was again buried near where it first started...

I tried that in a search engine...
All I got was some weird porn site

 

[DCMatt]

It could be a part of a lamp stand. But still don't think it was ever intended to hold any kind of liquid.


Also, with no rust on it, I'm assuming pewter or pot metal.

DCMatt

 

[nhbenz]

If it did hold liquid maybe they drilled the hole in the bottom for easier cleaning.