Posted 6 years ago
Sharminf
(7 items)
This precious pony stands 6 inches tall, is 5 1/4 inches long, and 2 1/4 inches wide. He weighs 1 pound 1 ounce. I'm thinking perhaps this is to hold oil, but not sure and have not been able to find anything similar. The piece on his head, which I thought was perhaps a funnel of sorts, does not have an opening - unless it has sealed over time. The piece on his back inserts as shown, but the item is not entirely hollow. The metal pieces are are brass or bronze. What do you think it is and where do you think it is from?
I think you have a candle lighter or oil lamp lighter.
If the body of the horse is a vessel to hold some type oil (lighter fluid-type substance), the little metal wire ("wand")which fits down into the horse's body would have it's tip in contact with the oil.
When someone removes the wand with oil on it's tip, the person could touch the tip to a flame of a candle or lamp, the tip would then catch fire and the burning tip could then be carried to a candle or lamp which needed to be lit.
Once the lighting was accomplished, the burning tip could be extinguished by inserting the tip in the little metal device on the horses head.
So it's purpose is to transfer fire from one place to another.
The piece looks Scandinavian to me, but that is just my humble opinion.
Thank you, Watchsearcher. That is so interesting!
I hope you will try it to test my theory.
I hope there is more input also.
I started searching again and now find similar, but none made of this material, items called kohl pots or kohl surma dani bottles that are Middle Eastern or Egyptian! They are make up bottles with a want for applying make up. This would seem rather large to hold up unless you detached the wand. I still like the lighter theory as well.
A makeup wand would be vey awkward on a short chain like this one. And what would be the purpose of the metal device on the horses head.
I agree, Watchsearcher, plus it is a hefty little item for that purpose. Still the only thing I come up with that has a similar wand. Checking for candle / lamp lighter, but have found nothing similar. Have you seen? Thanks for your help. Do you agree that it appears to be an old item?
It is a water tobacco pipe (not opium as said in the pinterest link!), lacking the tube which goes on the head.
Decorative modern (not old as said in the link...) Vietnamese piece...
https://pin.it/6ksoitt2ayc5bx
A buffalo one:
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/porcelain-water-pipe-opium-northern-1816636066
Wow, Kyratango! Thank you so much. Mystery solved. So curious how you knew! Somehow, I do not mind the missing tube. :-)
Kyratango, what incredible knowledge you have! I would have never guessed this cute horse would have such a use.
So the device on the head does have an opening into the body.
Whether opium or tobacco, I'm not clear how this worked. I get it that a mouth piece (tube) attached to the head so that the user sucked up a product from the body of the horse. Was the product inside the horse a powder to be inhaled?
What exactly was the wand's function?