Any ideas on this?

[sandchip]

Seems like I've seen pictures of items similar to this before, but don't remember where. I found it in a thrift/junk/antique place for 6 bucks, so I took a chance, especially since they had it laying in a glass dish just waiting to be broken. The ribbed melon part is blown, four-mold with a tooled rim. The lid is pressed in matching color. The hardware, for the most part, looks original. Overall height with chains hanging: 18.5". Melon, with brass fitting: 5" d. x 7.25 h. Lid: 3.875" d. There's a slight whittle to the blown part, with an occasional bubble, and a couple of small potstones. The fitting on the lid would allow a wire to pass through, but the one on the melon looks like a petcock for draining, along with more corrosion than the other brass parts. Let me know if you needs more pictures or close-ups of any part. Thanks in advance for any help y'all can offer.

 

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[Harry Pristis]

Nice find! I would start looking at apothecary shop fixtures, if it were mine.

 

[unclemac]

so...you think the melon was filled with a liquid?

 

[sandchip]

Man, I don't know. The few pictures that I've seen online of both new and old suggest that it's a light (apothecary as Harry mentioned). Maybe the finial on the bottom was replaced at one time. I do appreciate y'all's input.