Copper Pipe - Surprise

[mickael]

I found a copper pipe .. thought nothing about it .. almost chucked it
my GF looked closer and found this inside
she asked the Google God what it was and the reply was most likely "Han Purple"

 

[Cool Hand Fluke]

I'm confused? What is the purple stuff?

 

[newgoldfinder]

Han purple and Han blue (also called Chinese purple and Chinese blue) are synthetic barium copper silicate pigments developed in China and used in ancient and imperial China from the Western Zhou period (1045–771 BC) until the end of the Han dynasty (c. 220 AD)

 

[Msbeepbeep]

So what exactly is the Han purple stuff? Oh so it's coloring of some sort.

 

[Hendo0601]

I'm still confused as to why there was a bunch of ancient synthetic purple die inside of a chunk of copper pipe?

 

[mickael]

I think whoever lost this pipe must have been using an old technique
to fabricate synthetic purple pigment because from what I understand it could not be found in a natural state...

either that or the pipe was being used to transport this pigment

 

[MrMikeJackie]

Looks more like a pipe bomb filled with black powder

 

[CoinandRelicMan]

Neat probably was used for some sort of textile or crafting, looks to be old also, could it be used still?

 

[scaupus]

that's odd.

 

[joncooper1986]

cancer in a copper pipe!

 

[Aussie]

Any signs of an old foundry there?
Looks like what I use to use for degassing molten bronze just before pouring, the whole thing is plunged in the crucible. The copper pipe melts allowing the degas agent to be released at the bottom of the crucible.

 

[OWK]

Is it possible that your copper pipe is in fact a storage tube?

And that your round object on the right is a cork?

It was not unusual for artists to store their pigments dry in tubes, then grind them and mix them with media as needed in days past.

 

[mickael]

Is it possible that your copper pipe is in fact a storage tube?

And that your round object on the right is a cork?

It was not unusual for artists to store their pigments dry in tubes, then grind them and mix them with media as needed in days past.

yes I think this is probably what it was...



I found this not far from a roman camp in a village
built on roman center with a busy medieval activity
in a field where I found objects and coins from celtic to more recent
and luckily with a minimum of junk...
so this could be maybe not more then 100 yrs old (probably less) judging from the pipe and cork...

yet still intriguing no less

 

[I-DIG-IT]

Nice digs.