YOU ARE HERE:>>Mystery objects>>What is this? Section 4, page 2.

 

David W asks about this.

22nd March '10

Found in the UK.

David suspects that it is not actually ancient.

It's approximately 2.5 inches. (So rather too small for a car mascot!)




.

Well, not a Roman eagle anyway.

Looks like the top of a staff or cane.

Apparently some bright  metal is showing through the unusual brown "patina".

At the tip of the beak.

It could be brass rather than bronze?

.

  Bob asks about this .

April 1st '10

 

It stands roughly 2',width roughly 2',front to back about 16",depth roughly 12". 

 

It was found by my great uncle in a bombed out church type museum during WW1 somewhere in Europe. He thought it important enough to ship it back to the states while he was in Europe as well as some other antiquities that are very valuable.That is why I am so curious as to why would he would ship paintings and other treasures home as well as this box.

 

The chest must have some sort of importance.When I was about 8 years old he had moved in with us from Brooklyn (1971) and the chest was still packed from Europe (1919) he never opened the package. I remember saying to him that he had a unopened package that I noticed packed away in the attic.I showed it to him and he laughed and said that is as old as Jesus. Maybe he thought so, who know's what he meant by that, I was very young. Well he died a few weeks after the conversation and I just had to know what was in that package.

 

It was the chest disassembled and packed very well. I am a natural born mechanic I do it for a living and at my young age I was able to put it together quite easy.It really is not secured by anything maybe a few wooden pins and wooden nails.I do remember taking a pencil and cutting a few pegs that were missing that held it together.I then put the chest in our living room and told my parents that they had to keep the chest because it was older than Jesus.

 

We are Italians and my mom laughed and said it was nothing but a stupid old Italian bread box. Well she kept it anyway,and when my parents moved out of their big home she asked me to take the box since I was so fond of it, and she said she probably would have thrown it out anyway. She told me the only reason she kept the stupid thing is because she felt it had some sentimental value on my part, she could have cared less other wise.

 

I have recently asked my mom what she thought of the chest and she agree's it is an very odd old object and probably not a bread box and was thankful that I insisted on keeping it.

 

That's it. I would like to add that my great uncle was an aid to general Alexander and black jack Pershing, he had a lot of freedom and access to all sorts of restricted areas.I even have some pictures he took of Lloyd George and other dignitary's with Woodrow Wilson in Paris peace talks

 








.

Also I would like to add that the lid is a 5 piece 2 ends and 3 interlocking center. The bottom also uses the same technique with interlocking front bottom and side panels. From what I am reading is that the possibility of the use of small panels and not large panels indicates the lack of a wood supply and use of imported wood.

 



.

I did tell Bob that I really cannot see that it is that old and warned him that some possibly frivolous comments might be made!

 

But anyway, what do you think?

 

By the way, although this is April Fool's day, this isn't an April Fool's prank!

 

2nd April '10

 

 

From Tarquin

 

The lotus motif looks rather unusual, so if it's Egyptian it would have to be very early: Naqada II at the latest.

From Alan

 

Ah no,  I simply cannot believe it's not an April Fool's prank!

   

From David K

.

More interesting things>>>>