Friday 25 September 2015

Now and then ~

Just a few odds and ends for you to guess at ~
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9 comments:

  1. (3) A large iron chamber clock, probably by a member of the Liechti family, of Winterthur, circa 1550 to 1570. One is illustrated in Uresova's book, European Clocks.
    A similar clock(although of a rather more 'Gothic' type) is in the FitzWilliam Museum in Cambridge, which I was allowed to examine closely around 1980, when I was restoring a clock of a similar type and period.

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    1. I thought you might know, Mike. Thanks for all the information.

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  2. (6) A miniature gilt brass casket, probably by Michael Mann, of Nuremburg, circa 1600. The underside of the lid probably has an elaborate lock, with a fake keyhole and an elaborate hidden keyhole.

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    1. Not sure about brass, Mike? Any thoughts on the lettering below the lid?

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  3. (4) All four of these are (or have been) double Cruisies. The tip of the lower lamp protrudes beyond the tip of the upper lamp, so that as the oil burns, it drips from the upper lamp into the lower lamp. It can then be poured back into the upper lamp. I have used these lamps with olive oil, which gives a clear bright flame. The lamp to the left has lost its upper lamp, as has the second lamp from the right.

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    1. Fascinating practical info, Mike. I think the lamp on the left is just about to rediscover its upper part at 2nd from right position ~

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  4. (6) The miniature casket is gilt brass, and possibly silvered iron (?) or brass.

    The lettering below the lid is foreign. But there are several types of foreign, I'm told, and this appears to be Eastern foreign- possibly Persian or Turkish, although I am still of the opinion that the casket was made, and probably engraved in or around Nuremberg.

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    1. I think the lettering is Hebrew and the box is a traditional marriage gift from husband to wife ~ L'chaim.

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  5. 1 and 7 are miniature drones fitted with microscopic cameras for short-range low-level aerial reconnaissance.
    2 is a dentists casting-tray for taking dental impressions.
    5 is an external storage box from a Conestoga covered-wagon.

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