What is this?

[Merry]

Nothing added to BK6 from this thread

It fell out of a bundle of letters and stuff I was going through with mum this afternoon. Neither of us have ever seen it before even though we have gone through this stuff numerous times.

It's about an inch-and-a-half tall and the metal part unscrews from the handle bit. That may perhaps just be a means of attaching it as there doesn't seem any reason to remove it.

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m13/merry_monty_montgomery/StampSide.jpg

This is the end, which measures a third of an inch (at the most) across:

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m13/merry_monty_montgomery/StampBase.jpg

The lettering reads MAY IT WATCH OVER YOU in reverse, so it's a stamp of some sort. Here's the photo in reverse:

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m13/merry_monty_montgomery/StampBaseMirrored.jpg

The metal is some sort of composite with copper in it as it was green in places. I don't know what the handle is made from (bone?) I thought it was for use with sealing wax, but the inscription seems too fine to come out, having looked at a few seals I have on documents. I would say it's not meant for ink as the lettering would be the blank part as it is indented.

So, what is it for?

[peppie]

Looks like a wax seal thingy ma jig :):d

[Margaret in Burton]

Looks like a wax seal thingy ma jig :):d

I agree

[Margaret in Burton]

Could the handle be ivory?

[Olde Crone]

I think the symbol is the Eye of Horus? Anyone in the family been on a day trip to Egypt?

Don't think it is either ivory or bone, but maybe some kind of stone or even a very early plastic. Is it warm or cold to the touch, heavy or light?

OC

[Merry]

Goodness knows! My distant cousin was an Egyptologist called Joseph John Tylor (1851-1901), but I don't know that any of my branch of the family was ever in contact with him!

It is warm to the touch (ie blood temp) and very smooth. It's fairly light - the metal cap weighs about half the handle. The brownish markings on it are not dirt! lol The lettering is well under a millimetre high.

[Olde Crone]

Hmmm. It looks like alabaster from here, lol, but that would be cool to the touch, so it's either plastic pretneding to be alabaster, or it is bone...bone seems unlikely though as the markings are quite predominant and would have been seen as a flaw at the time of manufacture.

I do think it's an impress wax seal, possibly more decorative than useful though, a sort of Present From Cairo rather than a useful object!

Is the metal part hollow? This was meant to hold sand to cast across the ink, before blotting paper was invented, but the lid looks as if it wouldn't hold much sand, you'd be forever filling it up...again making me think it's a Present From Cairo rather than a genuine thing.

(It's still nice, though!)

OC

[Merry]

I think that sounds the most likely - a useless trinket bought in Cairo. The potential receptacle for sand would hold about two dozen grains at the most!

I learned yesterday that another distant cousin travelled to Egypt in the mid-1890s - could it be that old? Seems unlikely, but no one else has been there except me and I didn't buy it! lol

[Olde Crone]

Oh yes, it could be that old and is more likely to be that old than younger (phew!).

Although it's "just" a useless trinket for the tourist trade it is still nicely made and looks hand turned, not mass produced trash, which generally came much later in the East, as craftsmanship was very cheap and easily available - why set up an expensive factory when you could have the real thing done for less money.

OC

[Rachel]

If it's not to use with sealing wax, could it be for embossing an envelope or letter ?

[Merry]

Thanks for that OC - I agree that it is well made, just undersized! lol

[Merry]

If it's not to use with sealing wax, could it be for embossing an envelope or letter ?

I don't think the characters are 'sharp' enough for that - yet another potential task it wasn't quite up to! lol

[Muggins in Sussex]

I will be able to look at something that is a sealing wax thingy later today - I know that's what it is 'cos it says so on its box!

I'll report back with any differences/similarities!:)

[Merry]

Fanks Joan!

[Olde Crone]

Wonder if it was something to do with Tutankhamen's tomb exhibition?

Otherwise, why would you buy a non-working wax seal displaying the Eye of Horus?! Out of all the useless tourist trinkets you could (presumably)buy, this is oddly specific.

OC

[Merry]

Do you mean an exhibition in the UK?

[Mark Dudley]

Here is another possibility Merry: http://thefraternalgroups.us/Antique_Masons_Masonic_Stamp_Seal_May_It_Watch_Ove r_You.html

(Doesn't seem very likely to be Masonic, but it sounds like the same item)

[Olde Crone]

pmsl, Mark's find is much more likely, lol!

OC

[Mark Dudley]

There is a similar impression of the eye here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_of_Providence

[Merry]

Oooh, my granddad was a mason! Well, he was, but I have two whinging letters from the masons dated 1931 and 1932 asking why he hadn't paid his subs for the previous few years! My aunt threw out the apron etc (or whatever their stuff comprises of) when he died but this could easily have escaped - it's so small!

Thanks Mark - gives me another angle!

[Tom Tom]

I would think it is definately masonic.

My great grandfather was the Grand Master, and I have one of his old folders. Can't recall seeing the seal anywhere, but have definately seen that symbol printed on notelets and letters.

[Merry]

Thanks Tom :)

[Tom Tom]

Just checked through the folder and the symbol is all over the place! LOL

I actually feel a bit guilty looking through the folder because as an organisation they are very secretive - it is nice seeing speeches made by my great grandad though.

Made an error earlier - he was Worshipful Master not Grand Master.

[Olde Crone]

I really, REALLY, should have known that is a masonic object as my great grandfather was a Grand Master!!!

(Tom - not secretive really, certainly not at Lodge level anyway)

OC

[Christine in Herts]

Could the handle be made of soapstone?

I know my mother found that there were a lot of soapstone souvenirs when she visited Egypt some years ago.

... Altho', if it's masonic, there's no particular reason for it to be anything to do with Egypt.

Christine

[Muggins in Sussex]

I will be able to look at something that is a sealing wax thingy later today - I know that's what it is 'cos it says so on its box!

I'll report back with any differences/similarities!:)

Reporting back - no similarities whatsoever!