Guess What? December 2012

Guess What? December 2012

By Bob Cahn – “The Primitive Man”
Traditional re-creation but still baffling!
This month’s Guess What is a working re-creation and an over-the-counter functional working implementation of a classic everyday object.
It’s hand-carved of a hard wood (possibly camphor wood) and buffed to a high finish. This primitive native assembly line production technique laboriously accounted for limited output.
The front features a figural blunt-nosed wingless flying duck design while the rear has a pierced porcelain eyelet at the back end of the bowl. The grooved wheel has a crank handle.
These extra details are thrown in to add to the guessing confusion. The dimensions should give you a size perspective: length-9″, bowl-31D2″, wheel diameter-31D2″.

Is it:
1) Duck pin bowling alley rosin cake holder
2) Insect beetle trap
3) Patent model of an Oriental spinning wheel
4) Soy sauce dipping bowl
5) Oriental carpenter’s charcoal dust plumb line string marker
6) Gentleman’s top of the dresser pocket change collector
7) Opium den supply reservoir
8) Breeding chamber for baby (fingerlings) koi golden pond fish
9) Gerbil feeding bowl and exercise wheel
10) Japanese master salt and dental floss dispenser
11) Funky desk top paper clip organizer?
That does it. The menu for guessing is complete. Have fun and Happy Holidays! See you next year.
’Till then!

Answer to November’s Guess What
Courtesy of George’s Antiques, Fullerton, Ca. — we featured this rare boxed sterling silver Victorian handbag perfume flask filler funnel set.
The straws were hollow turkey quills. The elegant sterling silver perfume flask (41D4″ long) was separate and completes the package.
Assembled by staff member and keen-eyed researcher Brenda Wieser.*
*Available for acquisition.

9) Gerbil feeding bowl and exercise wheel wheel

10) Japanese master salt and dental floss dispenser

11) Funky desk top paper clip organizer?