Posted 4 years ago
kharrisma
(1 item)
Fine glassware it's not; I would, however, like to know what it is/was. It's about 3" in diameter and 2 1/2" high. As best as I can determine (it's tough to read because of the fluted bottom) it says: "Patented United States And England - SEPT-5-1899" in the 'outer' ring of print; " MAY-3-1899 CANADA" in the 'inner' ring of print, and "83" in the center.
It has a threaded area at the top for a screw-on lid and faint traces of what looks like rust staining, so I'm sure it was a metal lid of the kind we see commonly today.
I plan to use it on my calligraphy desk with ink in the center 'well,' and water in the annular 'ring well' around the center one for keeping the nibs clean. I'm just curious to know what it's original purpose was. I'd look up the patent and find it that way, but there's no patent number anywhere on it.
Any information would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks for the link... took awhile to dig through it, but I couldn't find anything like it for the date mentioned on the glassware. Think I'll try the Canadian patent office next.
Probably a battery rest insulstor or related item. Seperates annode from acid or catches leaking acids.
FWIW, I could see RacAtac's 'wet battery' thought as being perfectly valid for this item, though I also fully admit I don't really know...?? A nifty little bit of old glassware one way or the other, and your idea to repurpose it as an 'inkwell' seems like a pretty clever idea too...
OH, and welcome to CW...! :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)