Pottery Trowel

[spot]

Morning,

Here are two photographs of the pottery trowel that I mentioned yesterday in the "Found Something Nice" thread.

A poster mentioned that it was likely to be a "burnishing" stone in lieu of a trowel. Maybe so.

Atlantis calls his artifact an unfinished gorget. Perino called mine a pottery trowel.


For the readers edification and ease; I submit part of my post from yesterday listed under the "Found Something Nice" thread.



"The one I own is solid black in color and it was fabricated from some type of extremely fine grained, dense stone. It is incrediblly smooth and perfect in proportions.

Perplexed as to the purpose of the artifact as was a good collector friend of mine who's also in the know; I sent it to Perino. It papered of course and he sent me a little note back which he was always prone to do with some unusual item. Seems he had seen just a few of these before. He explained that it was a very high quality pottery trowel used in not just the smoothing but really in the "polishing" of high quality ceramics.

I was stunnned.........

He went on to say via telephone that it was one of the best he had ever seen and that the way it looked under magnification and his other experiences with these items that there was simply no mistaking what this was.

I was stunnned................my wonderful artifact a lowly pottery trowel..............dissapointment overcame me and I wept alligator tears!

However, at least I know what it was or what he thought it was; I'm certain he was correct in the identification. Again, look what happens with some people and geofacts. I had projected my reasoning, wishes and thoughts onto a person from times long past who had lived in a different world than the one I currently live in. I wanted it to be something else. But it could only be what it actually was.

In retrospect, I'm actually really pleased..........I know of no other pottery trowels this nice nor that look like this. Except now, I have seen an unfinished gorget that's in a look a like contest with my pottery trowel!

If I hold true to my beliefs concerning too much weight being uncomfortable suspended over time from the human neck.......then I guess I would vote pottery trowel even though you didn't ask for a vote concerning identification.

But HEY!........I've seen many more finished and perhaps unfinished gorgets and just a couple of pottery trowels.
Perhaps the pottery trowell is ever more elusive and valuable than the unfinished gorget.

Maybe....just maybe...........

spot"


Thanks for looking,

spot

 

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[Pinellas Man]

Definitely a nice artifact Spot, what's the length of that jewel?

 

[spot]

It's about 3 1/2 inches in length; I've not applied a ruler to it, that's a guess. It's the same size as the other artifact pictured in the aforementioned post.

Thanks for looking,

spot

 

[Rising Phoenix]

very cool burnishing stone

 

[mistergee]

that is nothing to be disappointed about...it is one beautiful artifact...WTG

 

[DreamcatcherNC]

Super nice find, Spot. We also call those burnishing stones around here but trowel will work also. Never seen one of such quality. Here's one (bottom right) that I found locally - not nearly as nice as yours but it obviously was functional as it's well worn all around.

 

[spot]

Hey mistergee,

My complaining about the pottery trowel was pretty much "tongue in cheek" or what some might call, "kidding". I was making a point that because of the tools we use and the way we conduct our lives that often, it causes us to believe that prehistoric man had similar if not the same reasons and thoughts for doing things. In the interest of accuracy, I think that modern people have to be very subjective in our interpretations of prehistoric mans "reasons' for things including the tools and other objects that he fabricated that have been spared the ravages of time because of being stone or bone or horn in the right environment. One point is that many perishable items have not survived and if they had, we would have much clearer insight into the lives of prehistoric Americans. For example, the last thing I would have thought this object to be would be just what it is............a pottery trowel or a burnishing stone as some have posted. As males, often we want things like this to be something that involved men...their hunting and/or ceramonial endeavors and not related to extremely important tasks such as making storage or cooking vessels so food could be processed for consumption or stored. I think us guys are likely to think that these tasks, and the tools used perhaps mostly by women, are menial and not very important.

I hope I've been able to communicate my thoughts clearly..........it's a little more difficult because it's not a normal topic or consideration most of us would find ourselves engaged in.

Thanks for looking,

spot

Thanks for looking,

spot

 

[spot]

Dreamcatcher,

Nice frame and yes, we have a lot off these smoothing stones like you've found around here to compared to these pottery trowels.

Loved the frame!

Thanks for sharing,

spot

 

[GL]

HEY!
I have an unnaturally smooth, palm sized stone I found a while back too!
The more I pick up, the more I learn. Awesome stone dude!

 

[Atlantis0077]

Hey Spot,

Yep I can see how that could be a burnishing stone for sure....also used for hot stone massage.....lol.

The stone I called an unfinished gorget is totally flat on one side and angled more around the edges whereas your appears rounder. Mine is also made of black slate. Still it could be some sort of tool rather than a gorget as I havent had an expert examine it. Interesting piece for sure.

Happy Hunting,

Atlantis

 

[spot]

Everything was custom!

So, each item is unique unto itself. To me, this is some of the big fun in the collecting hobby.

Good thread,

spot

 

[spot]

I mean the "Found Something NICE" was a "good thread"!.....Not this thread. Sorry, I thought I was posting over on the "Found Something NICE thread."

How silly,

spot