Posted 7 years ago
UncleRon
(41 items)
I've seen these items before but have never known what they were. This one is turned on a lathe from a single piece of wood, is 10.5" long, and has three rings on the large end which have been cut free of the body but remain trapped on it. There are inlaid bone plugs in the "head" and a bone tip at the small end. The wood appears to have been painted after being turned and then decorative patterns were cut through the paint. I've investigated a variety of ideas ; simple whimsy, baby rattle, medicine rattle, drop spindle for spinning, and more including native crafts from every continent, and can not find a match. So, what is it?
Definitely a whatchamacallit.
Called a molinillo it is used in Mexico to stir cocoa .
Thanks, slackjack! That is the LAST thing I would have guessed (or spelled).
Interesting. I never saw them called cocoa stirer. In this country they are a wooden honey dipper. Something new to me.
Yes fhrjr2, when I first saw it that's what I thought, but knew it wasn't when Ron said some of the rings were free of the body of it. Good thing slackjack let us know! :^)
It's odd UncleRon, "you" didn't know what it was, I got nervous! LOL :^D
After slackjack ID'd it I found them all over the 'net in kitchen gadget sites and folk/cultural items. It's way to big for a honey dipper. The one's I've seen have a ball that would fit in a teaspoon. This one's the size of an egg.
You are right. A homeowner honey dipper is normally 1 1/4" diameter or less. The reason is so it will go in a honey jar or bottle. If you raise bees and fill those jars the old way the dipper is considerably larger.