Featured More to this than meets the eye

I am currently in hibernation mode. It is COLD! We have been under an extreme cold warning for the majority of January already. I hide away on the couch wrapped in blankets watching netflix because to do anything else involves leaving the cocoon of warmth I have and just isn't worth it.

I am happy to hear you are (sort of) up and running again.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I'm strongly leaning towards it being an oinochoe, despite its differences from what we would think of as a functional pitcher. I've seen a smattering of somewhat similar vessels online-- very skinny necks, high thin handle, skinny spout, and with various decorations.

Here's what I think the spout might look like from another angle (clumsy photoshop modification of the spout). Maybe the coin shows the vessel in a perfect lateral view, hiding the other side of the spout.



And a rough sketch of the same concept, viewed from the top of the vessel:

Thank you for taking a look at it! I'm leaning towards ceremonial oinochoe, perhaps in gold or other metal. This week I'll send inquiries to a few museums and see if they have any ideas.

 

Do we know in which century through History that man began to smoke??

 

I don't, but I'd guess that smoking or inhaling smoke of various herbs for ritual purposes probably goes almost as far back as when hominids began controlling fire.

 

LMAO! Wow, you have great photoshop skills!

 

This is literally one of the funniest things I have ever seen!!!
And the fact that it's Nero...let's just say Rome wasn't the only thing burning whilst he fiddled!

 

I find mysteries like this fascinating and very worthwhile to pursue. In the internet age we may be able to put things together that were previously not correlated.

Great coin and thread!

John

 

So, it wasn't the Christians that started the fire in Rome! He must have been using his Bong and accidentally set the city on fire!

 

Make that three mysteries solved in this thread.

 

LOl. If this isn’t what they used it for, then they clearly weren’t using it right. Brilliant graphic and fantastic coin!

 

My first thought was the oil lamp Mike proposed but I am perfectly comfortable with the big bong theory. You will feel very strange when you write to the BM and find out they own one like it and it has silphium tar residue only discovered when they looked at it as result of your inquiry. The point is that what we imagine as a proper decanter and what a die cutter saw when making this die may or may not be in any way related. We keep an open mind or we later pay the price.

You always pay too much for coins which explains why you have such nice coins while I have too many coins.

 

I'm leaning towards a pouring type, and the six little projections are decorative. See the sketch and Photoshop alteration in post #22 in this thread. Could the six projections be hollow? Is the thing a sprinkler? Seems possible. Thank you for the ideas

It looks like it is sitting on a pillowed platform similar to the canopic statues on the other bronze coins shown in the first post:



The base also resembles this Osiris canopus from Hadrian's villa:


The God Osiris-Canopus, from Hadrian’s Villa, 131-138 AD. Vatican Museums (Gregoriano Egizio); fromFollowingHadrian.com

Whether or not that pillowed platform is part of the real-life object or a resting place from which the object can be removed... I don't know (but I'm betting an integral part of the object).

 

I do not have any clues for helping solve the identity of your mystery object, just wanted to say what a lovely coin it is!

 

I believe this to be a Lovecraftian Elder Thing.



Seriously, what an interesting reverse!!!

 

My first thoughts are that it first is a fabulous coin you show us, and second that it reminds me of an ewer (aiguière in french) that I bought in Turquey 40 years ago of which you can close the top with some stopper (or bottle cap or whatever). In that case it might be shown open.

Not mine below. I would have to find it out and picture it



Just my two drachms
Q

 

i think you are so lucky to have this coin..

it's very artistic and old

 

I vote: ancient bagpipes.

 

Turned upside down, it even has the nodular "pillow". Maybe you're onto something!

Oh... good idea. I hadn't considered that the six "upside down pearls" might be attached to a stopper or lid. Sounds like a real possibility!

Well, that would explain Nero's assassination

 

Could it be a Greek interpretation of the Egyptian "Sema Tawy"?

For pictures of the Egyptian Sema Tawy, see https://gigalinsights.com/2016/11/26/spiritual-secret-behind-sema-tawy-of-ancient-egypt-by-gigal/

The Sema Tawy was a heart and trachea, carved into thrones and made into jars, that symbolizes the union of two countries.