IS THIS A PERSIAN POWDER FLASK ?

Kubur · 28th April 2018, 06:55 PM

It's Indian.
It reminds me these little bronze fishes.

David R · 28th April 2018, 10:05 PM

My bet, would be on it being a snuff (powdered tobacco) flask.

rickystl · 28th April 2018, 10:23 PM

It may also be one of the many trinkets from the Victorian Period. Small metal purses, containers, etc. were all the rage back then. But they were usually from low grade silver. This container appears to be iron. (?)

Rick

francantolin · 29th April 2018, 08:05 AM

Hello,
for me, old european holy water container,
often associated with rosary

Kubur · 29th April 2018, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickystl

It may also be one of the many trinkets from the Victorian Period. Small metal purses, containers, etc. were all the rage back then. But they were usually from low grade silver. This container appears to be iron. (?)

Rick

Hi Rick,

As I said I think it's Indian and it's made of brass.
You have hundred of them on the web.
They are called Mughal powder flasks or perfume flasks.
I don't know if they are old or not, but they have nothing to do with Mughal or powder flasks...

corrado26 · 29th April 2018, 05:48 PM

I think this is the same type of item with unknown use.
corrado26

rickystl · 5th May 2018, 05:45 PM

LOL!!! Well, there's those fish again. LOL

I also believe these small containers - with SCREW caps - were made to carry something other than priming powder. It would simply be inconvienant and take too long unscewing a cap versus simply pulling out a plug or pushing on a lever to get access to the powder.
While screw style plugs are not unknown, they only seem to appear on European styled powder horns - for sporting purposes. And even then, they are seldom encountered unless made sometime during the 20th Century.
So I think the originally posted flask above falls into the same catagory as the fish shaped flasks posted by Kubur and Corrado. And if brass, probably of Indian origin.

As a comparison, here is a fish shaped, painted wood flask that does look old. I picked this up from Oriental Arms. Artzi says it's likely of South Indian origin. I ran a long Q-Tip through the flask mouth, and rubbing around produced a small evidence of black powder. So I think this one was used for priming a matchlock of some type. Notice the mouth of the flask was made for a plug, now missing.

Still, I like the design of the flask originally posted. Would clean up very nice.

Rick

29th April 2018, 05:48 PM	#6
corrado26 Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Black Forest, Germany Posts: 1,237	I think this is the same type of item with unknown use. corrado26 Attached Images

5th May 2018, 05:45 PM	#7
rickystl Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: St. Louis, MO area. Posts: 1,633	LOL!!! Well, there's those fish again. LOL I also believe these small containers - with SCREW caps - were made to carry something other than priming powder. It would simply be inconvienant and take too long unscewing a cap versus simply pulling out a plug or pushing on a lever to get access to the powder. While screw style plugs are not unknown, they only seem to appear on European styled powder horns - for sporting purposes. And even then, they are seldom encountered unless made sometime during the 20th Century. So I think the originally posted flask above falls into the same catagory as the fish shaped flasks posted by Kubur and Corrado. And if brass, probably of Indian origin. As a comparison, here is a fish shaped, painted wood flask that does look old. I picked this up from Oriental Arms. Artzi says it's likely of South Indian origin. I ran a long Q-Tip through the flask mouth, and rubbing around produced a small evidence of black powder. So I think this one was used for priming a matchlock of some type. Notice the mouth of the flask was made for a plug, now missing. Still, I like the design of the flask originally posted. Would clean up very nice. Rick Attached Images

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28th April 2018, 06:55 PM	#1
Kubur Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 2,145	It's Indian. It reminds me these little bronze fishes.

28th April 2018, 10:05 PM	#2
David R Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,124	My bet, would be on it being a snuff (powdered tobacco) flask.

28th April 2018, 10:23 PM	#3
rickystl Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: St. Louis, MO area. Posts: 1,633	It may also be one of the many trinkets from the Victorian Period. Small metal purses, containers, etc. were all the rage back then. But they were usually from low grade silver. This container appears to be iron. (?) Rick

29th April 2018, 08:05 AM	#4
francantolin Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 906	Hello, for me, old european holy water container, often associated with rosary