Comments on: First, thou pullest the holy pin.

Question: First, thou pullest the holy pin.

cmyk — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:30:23 -0800

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?

By: iconomy

iconomy — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:38:30 -0800

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?

By: cmyk

cmyk — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:40:45 -0800

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.

By: cmyk

cmyk — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:41:07 -0800

Er, the egg itself is about that big. See? Measurements confuse me.

By: otherwordlyglow

otherwordlyglow — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:46:46 -0800

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.

By: onhazier

onhazier — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:50:32 -0800

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.

By: BitterOldPunk

BitterOldPunk — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:50:45 -0800

Closed, huh? Damn. I was gonna guess Miter of the Squirrel Pope.

By: BitterOldPunk

BitterOldPunk — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:51:27 -0800

On preview:

HA!

By: cmyk

cmyk — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 12:01:21 -0800

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.

By: rob511

rob511 — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 15:07:23 -0800

BOP, ecce the former Cardinal Nutzinger.