[Jewelry making - Article 00563] - [Orchid] [Tidbits] Unknown Object Part II

[Benjamin Mark]

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          I first must apologize for not answering each and every one of
          you personally. I didn't know where this would go ... or if it
          even would go ... so I took a wait-and-see approach. Would I
          have too many responses? Would I have too few? I make it a
          policy to always answer each and every email I get ... and this
          is the first lapse in the nine some odd years since I've been
          doing Tidbits. Won't happen again ... I don't think.:) That
          said ... wanna read what you folks thought? I hope you're as
          entertained as I was. 

    Good Idea! This particular one is especially appealing to me since
    it is a feline image. In general, great idea! Many thanks. 

    Zach is the ancient equivilent of a Pet Rock for royalty.  Only the
    ruler and his spouse could possess one.  If they are very large--
    they were foot rests for royalty.  In any case, they are beautiful! 

    Is he hollow on the under side?  Could he be the ultimate, fancy
    mezzuzah? 

    Question...  How big is it?  Can you put batteries in it  :) ? 

    What you have there obviously, is a =93Cheshire=94 (note the grin)
    jaguar (or?) on wheels!  (Though the right [passenger?] side tire is
    flat.] Having but two wheels (somewhat awkwardly placed near the
    midsection) this may have been a =93pull toy=94 sort of Zach.  Noting
    that the neck flares out rather than joining the body as one might
    expect, I=92m led to suspect an articulated construction or a containe=
r
    =93lid=94.  I wonder if the rotation of those wheels might have caused=
 a
    head- nodding action. The materials used and skill in execution of
    Zach lead me to believe it was a gee-gaw made for some hoity toity
    individual rather than for the masses to purchase at TwoRiversMart.
    Interestingly, the right (can=92t see the left) legs (?) have the
    appearance of sheep or rams heads.  I must conclude (with every bit
    as much authority as anyone involved) that I haven=92t a clue. 

    Zach, as you have mentioned, is from the Acheimenid Empire, from
    Persian descent, is a gold object used to store fragrance in for use
    by a woman who found herself in the presence of malodorous visitors,
    maybe in a bazaar, the marketplace, or entertaining a husband's guest
    who is oafish and smelly. Push the lever on the side of Zach, and
    voi`la, her rescue via jasmine, ylang ylang, or rose oil, she is able
    to endure the encounter with a slight smile and a quick "by your
    leave," where she can whisk away and seek solace and relief. There
    you have it. Seek no further. You have found the answer to your quest:
    Zach is a flask to store perfume or scented oils to aid in
    obfuscating offensive odors. 

    I think this magnificent looking creature is carrying models on its
    body of all its past lives. 

    Hey, no dimensions! No fair! But I would guess some kind of guardian
    talisman. 

    He sure makes a great coffee table ornament, but I'd bet he is a
    container of some kind.  For something precious, most likely, like
    rare spice or incense. 

    Ok, I'll bite.  In the eras when parchment and papyrus scrolls were
    the medium for written record, there were often paired weights used
    to hold the rolled ends of a scroll in place while a reader or
    writer worked on a section of the manuscript.  You didn't provide any
    dimensions, but it didn't take much of a weight to do this.  I think
    similar weights are still used for Torah scrolls. 

    There's holes in the back, so could be incense burner, but that's
    more oriental I think.  I was joking to myself about paperweights,
    but really it could have been - a scroll weight or something.  
    Those curly papers would have been a pain to keep open. 

    How about a formal knife holder at the dinner table? 

    I think it looks like big shy cat that is about the pounce upon its
    prey. 

    What gorgeous detail captured in the surface of that gold!  One
    leetle detail with respect to that magnificently mirrored item of
    the goldsmith's craft seems missing...  Something that would maybe
    help a Funny-Hatted Reverend maybe dream up a cogent response to your
    charming "Wottizzit?" conundrum as-posed.    That is this: Kindly
    pray tell, how /long/ is this gryphon-detailed liondoggie of a
    dragonlike molten image of a Being or Telesmic of the Higher or
    Lower Planes (depending), please?  (OK, sure, yeah, the goldsmith
    maybee mighta been just a-foolin' around that day with a big lumpa'
    gold and nuthin' better to do yah roight.)   Also, are they both
    quite solid inside?  Or have they any sort of cavity or hollowed-out
    belly-area to speak of within? A lively mind with no particular
    background in archeology /per/ /se/ but with some few critical
    thinking skills left to spare would appreciate knowing.  Anything
    worthwhile surfaces from the exchange and subsequent contemplations,
    I'll let on quick as can be. 

    This is great!  I would say that Zach is a lion figure from an
    ancient space race (note the 'star wars' torso) - and thus proof that
    aliens have visited earth. 

    Thinking it might disassemble like a chinese puzzel, maybe somethings
    inside? 

    Without knowing the size of zack or the weight, is he hollow or
    solid, I would venture a guess that he could be a toggle for a cape
    or a garment closure. Using a couple of worked openings in the edges
    of a garment that are large enough for the ends of the Zach to fit
    through and then over the feet (similar to a buttonhole). In use the
    heads would be on the outside and visible, and the middle would show
    in the gap between the edges. This would not be very secure on an
    active wear garment but it would work for ceremonial, stately
    display, the normal kind of use for gold. 

    Looks like they are religious objects to me - some sort of altar
    decoration? Whatever they are, they are beautiful, with great
    workmanship. 

    My first thought was that it might be a chinese style finger trap
    but on closer look there is no where to put your fingers!!! 

    Could it be a head-rest or pillow? the shape resembles Chinese,
    Korean and Japanese ancient pillows or head-rests made of porcelain
    or lacquered wood. In Korea, I saw some being used and they were
    made of woven bamboo.

Benjamin Mark
http://www.tyler-adam.com

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