Posted 10 years ago
acadue
(1 item)
These are 2 wooden crates (approx. 14 inches long x 14 inches wide and 4 inches tall) The jars inside are roughly 4 inches tall. The second one had it's top pried off to see what was inside apparently. There are holes in the lid where the jar tops sit flush. The lids on the crates were nailed on.
These were found in an old barn on the cemetery property where I work. The cemetery is 160+ years old and has had greenhouses for nearly as long. We are located in Ontario, Canada if that is helpful.
Any help identifying these would be greatly appreciated!
Alison
Love the mystery actually. These are ceramic jars? Maybe an early battery? 16 x 1.5 volts = 24V. In other words, I don't have any idea what it is & guessing.
Curious piece, doubt it's a battery as the bottle openings seem to small to allow the plate to be inserted. The holes in the wood top make it appear to be some type of collection system, was there a mortuary on the property at any time?
I discounted the repeated re filling because you could never get an accurate pouring so there would be spill. If it's originally nailed together, then it/they, can't be cleaned. This 1 has me boggled but hoping one of our Frere's de l'cote solves it.
Thanks for the replies!
The jars/bottles are glass (the openings are less than 1/2 inch across) and some have the green paint/stain from the boxes dried on them, like the boxes were assembled before they were painted/stained. I can say, with confidence, that there was never a mortuary here.
I added a photo of the bottles.
Used to carry nitroglycerin. Bottles would be short and very stout. Box would be suspended during your trip. Just another thought.
Jono, the thought passed thru my mind but sure wouldn't want to be the one to prize the nailed down top off.
Jono, you might be on to something, that may also explain the holes. (venting?)
I agree blunderbuss.
I wonder if someone could date the nails in the lid If picture?
Blackshiep1, Venting is a possibility. Someone went to great length to keep these bottles confined.
http://www.sha.org/bottle/
if there were holes in the top of the crate to access the bottles, maybe they originally had droppers in them. and if the crate travelled, keeping the bottles steady would make sense.
I speed read the site but didn't see "dropper". What is a dropper?
Come on blunderbuss, a dropper is the poor fellow in pieces. :))))
Jono, there are eye-dropers etc. but get your point. So, let's say expensive or dangerous. If the top was orig. screwed down, I would vote for nitro transport.
When I enlarge the picture all I see is nails, no screws.
It probably has us all fooled blunderbuss. It's probably a transport for a fun carnival game where you toss dimes into a bottle LOL.
Could be Jono but not much more than BB's. I'm waiting on somebody who knows for certain at this point.
I'm thinking the bottles were VERY old. Hand blown.