I pounced on this lovely thing when I saw it in a box of Terry's random, un-investigated op-shop finds as we continued the de-clutter this week. The hand-punctured star-shaped perforations, evidence of knocks from a long life in service, in un-shiny, unpretentious grey. It's a keeper.
At first I thought it was a sugar caster and I wanted it to be a sugar caster so I could use it as a sugar caster and so it would have a use and therefore be more justifiably keep-able. It rattled like a once-upon-a-time sugar caster but when I shook it all that fell out was dirt. The husbands identify-an-old-thing reference library failed me, so I turned to Google who told me sugar casters are at least 16 cms tall and suggested it was a poivriere, a pepper shaker, but then it told me poivriere are at least 12 cms tall...
It turns out this, all 10 cms of it, is a pounce pot. Originally it would have contained ground cuttle bone or pumice which was sprinkled and then rubbed in to prime paper for writing on with quill and ink, and/or to dry the ink before folding the letter in the pre blotting paper age. Swoon!
It looks almost exactly like this one made by James Dixon and Sons in Sheffield, England, (hello home town!) and the fact it was likely part of an inkwell set which are usually marked on the bottom of the tray explains why this has no makers marks when pewter usually does. I'm deducing from the fact that blotting paper was invented around 1840 and the James Dixon firm was established in 1806, and that pewter production declined rapidly in the late 1800's that this here pounce pot was made in the early to mid 1800's.
Sadly some old pewter was made with lead. Despite not being made for culinary use, if it is James Dixon made it will be lead-free since the company originally formed to produce a lead-free version of pewter. However I'm really not willing to take the risk, and though it would make a lovely glitter shaker I just don't want the kids mucking around with it-Claud still likes to gnaw on non-food stuff when the mood takes her and Fin's fast approaching his gnawing prime; so we either need to test it for lead somehow or, sniff, out it goes...
And the de-clutter tally for this week?
In the undecided pile
One pewter pounce shaker
To the nephews
A massive pile of "I'll fit them again one day" clothes.
To the op-shop
A big car boot load of all sorts of guff, including:-
A box load of flower vases of various descriptions
A bag of maternity clothes that are now too big (hurrah!)
3 sets of salad servers
To Kindy
Big bag of massive feathers
2 boxes of cup cake toppers
To Nin for a letter writing social (how cool!)
A wee pile of oddments of envelopes and note cards
To antiques auction at Bell's auctioneers in Kaiapoi
Various drawings and prints
Notably absent (further psychological preperation required)
Toys
Books
Rags
