✅ SOLVED Mystery Stone of Esquagama Lake

[Rocsteddie]

View attachment 1069800View attachment 1069799
Native American ornament mode carved on both sides of one soapstone. For making beads and broaches from lead. About 3 inches square. May be between 300 and 350 years old. 1650s to 1750 possibly.
Thanks for the look and info.

 

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[shawninNY]

No pics? That is mysterious!

 

[Rocsteddie]

I think I have this pic thing figured out finely.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Only an alien race could create a stone that can't be photographed! Proof we were visited! Call that guy with the crazy hair.

 

[Rocsteddie]

View attachment 1085747View attachment 1085748What do you think of these ?

 

[deepsecrets]

Looks Native American/Meso-american...perhaps some kind of calendar/Sun Moon phases? Would be cool if you could make a mold of the impressions to see more detail?

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Carved soapstone for casting lead figures and wheels as toys? Or buttons? With the sprue and vent channels it's almost certainly a portion of a mold (mould if you're proper) for casting.

 

[trikikiwi]

It appears to be half of a mould, perhaps for lead figures/figurines. Very interesting.

Edit: Charlie beat me to it.

 

[Doodle Bug]

They are mould pieces.
Normally two are placed together and molten metal, more than likely lead is poured into the hole at the top created by the two plates.

 

[shawninNY]

I think they nailed it with mould! Really cool find

 

[Rocsteddie]

How old do you think it is?

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

The soapstone itself maybe a billion years old. Metamorphic rocks are the old-timers of rocks by the time they make it to the surface. The work done on it? Way beyond my abilities to judge. In the US soapstome comes from Georgia or Virginia. Soapstone parlor stoves and kitchen countertops (and bed warmers) were shipped all over in the late 1800's.

You should make a cast of the human figure and see if the facial features have any clues. Or, safer, take a well lit close-up and reverse the contrast (a negative image).

 

[Rocsteddie]

Closeup of human figures head.

View attachment 1085749View attachment 1085750Check out these close up of human figures head.

 

[shawninNY]

Freaky

 

[d2]

Were pretty sure it's aliens...d2

 

[ATpro5]

Definitely a mold. A very cool and old one to! Melt some lead and make a cast of that dude

 

[ConceptualizedNetherlandr]

Obliviously the one with Jacob Waltz on it is a map to LDM, and the other is for the Jesuit treasures :P

 

[LongBrass9]

That is amazing! I have many types of molding experience and have to agree that these appear to each be one half of 2 different molds. The give-away is the conical shaped sprues where the molten metal would be poured in. To make a true casting you would need the other halves and you wouldn't want to actually use these. You could make reproduction molds out of the original soapstone molds but I would guess that the parting line is not to crisp anymore. Very nice finds anyway!
If you are interested and inclined to try, I remember Smooth-On had tutorials, molding compounds and great customer service.
Smooth-On, Inc. - Mold Making & Casting Materials Rubber, Plastic, Lifecasting, and More

 

[Rocsteddie]

Bye

 

[bradyboy]

bead mold
brady