help wanted. Is this a tobacco jar ?

[mwbw22]

Hi All

I am after a bit of help if possible,
I have aquired this lovely turned wood vessel. All made from one solid pice of wood ( i've been told it may be olive wood). It measures approx 8" high.

The person who suggested it was olive wood also thinks it may be a tobacco jar. But there's no liner inside it.

Would any one here be able to identify this please

Any help would be gratefully reecived

Many thans
mal

 

[mwbw22]

 

[Doc Manhattan]

If the lid is snug, it could be a tobacco jar. Whether or not it was ever used for that purpose, your nose will tell you.

(If the chamber is the same globe-shape as the outside, rather than a cylinder, that might explain the lack of a liner--that's a tough shape to line.)

 

[mwbw22]

Hi there

Many thanks for your response.

Yes the lid is very tight, needs a good tug to get it off.

The inner is spherical as you suggested. Al it smells of is beeswax where it has been regulary polished so it may well either never have been used for tobacco or not for some years as it appears to have some age to it

 

[Carlos]

If not a tobacco jar, then maybe an urn for somebody's ashes.

 

[Buck]

If not a tobacco jar, then maybe an urn for somebody's ashes.

An urn! :affraid: Holy cow, you could be right! :affraid:

 

[mwbw22]

OOh Err.....I hope not.

I cleaned it up last night....that bit of dust inside could have been..........

 

[Doc Manhattan]

There's a slight chance, but you need about 200 cubic inches to hold adult cremains. That globe would have to be about 7.2" interior diameter to hold that much of anything. I can't say for sure, of course, but hopefully my math will give you a little "plausible deniability."

 

[Slow Puffs]

If not a tobacco jar, then maybe an urn for somebody's ashes.

Smokey Tweed is the urn specialist... he'd better jump in and tell us so this issue can be settled . I've never seen an urn like that... but nowadays people use most anything.

It's pretty neat... whatever it is...

 

[mwbw22]

I've just had another look at it and it measures 4" inside diameter so that would make it to small for an ashes urn I guess.

Hopefully Smokey Tweed can get to the bottom of this.

As slow puffs said, it is a really nice item though, I think it has been turned from the same piece of wood as grain on the lid matches up when the lid is on.

Thanks for all your comments, much appreciated

 

[Dock]

Yes. I believe this is a tobacco jar. I've seen a few globe shaped ashtrays that are very similar. This appears to be an Eames era mid century modern design and probably from the mid 1960's...

 

[Anonymous]

What ever it is: I want one!

 

[mwbw22]

Now it's starting to make sense...I showed it to someone today at a collectors fare and they said it was Eames era

 

[mwbw22]

Hi All

Just an update.

I went to another antique and collectors fair yesterday and found a guy selling nothing but smoking related items, pipes, cigar cutters etc.

I showed him the item and he immediately said it was a tobacco jar so it seems that is the case. He actually wants to buy it but i'm a bit wary of "dealers" so I think i may well pop into one of my local auction rooms an see if I can get a valuation on it before I part with it.

many thanks to everyone for theit help.