First, thou pullest the holy pin.

September 24, 2007 11:30 AM

A grey egg, covered with rows of bling and a teeny tiny cross on top -- encased in a block of Lucite. Holy hand grenade? Miniature pope hat? Yes, I have pictures. What is it?

A friend gave it to me. All we know is that it was one of five frillion random objects in her recently-deceased grandfather's house. It looks like an award, but for what, I can't begin to guess. I don't even know what to tell Google to look for.

I have for you three photos no more no less because my camera's macro pitched a hissy trying to focus on the scratches in the plastic instead of the egg itself.

Front view, or, I think it's the front, because this side has the bling on the center of the cross on top.

Blur-tastic view of same, with a AAA battery for scale.

Sticker on the bottom of the thing, which I think reads thus: V. H. Blackton & Co * Attleboro Falls [and I can't read the rest of it because it's torn away]. Googling that takes me here, which leads me to believe this is some kind of award... but, for what?

posted by cmyk to grab bag (9 comments total)

Is it too big to be a thimble? I see the battery but I have a crappy sense of scale. Is it open or closed on the bottom?
posted by iconomy at 11:38 AM on September 24, 2007

It's entirely closed, and rather heavy for its size. It's maybe two inches tall, from base to the top of the cross.

I have a lousy sense of scale, too.
posted by cmyk at 11:40 AM on September 24, 2007

Er, the egg itself is about that big. See? Measurements confuse me.
posted by cmyk at 11:41 AM on September 24, 2007

Was he in a fraternal order? The website has lots of strange medallions and awards from every imaginable fraternal order and it does look like something that would have been awarded as part of strange fraternal ritual but is no longer offered in their catalog. I'd call them.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 11:46 AM on September 24, 2007

I wouldn't be surprised if it was a bit of memorabilia from the coronation of Pope Paul VI. What you have is a replica of the actual Papal Tiara used during his coronation. His was the last Papal coronation. Here is a bit more about Papal Coronations and the Papal Tiaras.
posted by onhazier at 11:50 AM on September 24, 2007

Closed, huh? Damn. I was gonna guess Miter of the Squirrel Pope.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 11:50 AM on September 24, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

On preview:

HA!
posted by BitterOldPunk at 11:51 AM on September 24, 2007

onhazier, thank you! That looks just like it, except bigger and less shiny.

BitterOldPunk, your theory shall live on in tagged infamy because it made me laugh.

Next week I will ask how in the world one goes about playing an inch-long harmonica, which was one of the other things I got from Molly's grandpa's cache of goodies.
posted by cmyk at 12:01 PM on September 24, 2007

BOP, ecce the former Cardinal Nutzinger.
posted by rob511 at 3:07 PM on September 24, 2007