unusual brass 'flask'
 

I wonder if anyone knows what this item is . It is a 12 inch high , 3 inch diameter container with conical removable top . With rather crude repetitive stamped decoration and a cartouche with Arabic inscription .

Could be a lime container. I have one a bit similar though not as tall as your example.
Stu

Just another thought.......it could also be a storage pot for unground coffee. I have several middle eastern coffee pots which have similar decoration and the shape resembles quite closely the middle eastern coffee grinders (pic attached)
Stu

Grinder
 

Hi Stu ---

How old is this grinder?

Hi Steve,
Not really sure but I would have thought around the 1950s or 60s. Has seen quite a bit of use. I have 2 other similar grinders, one for coffee and the other most likely for spices or pepper as the grinding heads are much smaller than the coffee grinder heads.
Stu

I agree with kahnjar1, in that the stamps on thinreadline's item closely resemble those to be found on Gulf region coffee pots (dallah). So, most probably its a container for coffee.

Or possibly cardamom pods, often used to flavour the coffee.
Best wishes
Richard