Mystery ceramics
June 9, 2020 4:43 AM   Subscribe

Please help me identify this ceramic thing.

My friend bought me this beautiful round ceramic thing with holes, but I have no idea what it is. I only have these two pictures: this and this
posted by leigh1 to Grab Bag (8 answers total)
 
Best answer: I think it’s a pomander.
posted by roofus at 4:50 AM on June 9, 2020 [2 favorites]


Best answer: How big is it? Does it have an opening of any kind? It does look like a pomander but that would have a place you open to put good smelling things in
posted by donnagirl at 4:55 AM on June 9, 2020


Response by poster: I have no idea... he only sent these two pictures. I imagine it's not very big. Can't see any opening.
posted by leigh1 at 5:02 AM on June 9, 2020


Response by poster: I found this very similar item, but I am still clueless:)
posted by leigh1 at 5:27 AM on June 9, 2020


Best answer: It's definitely a pomander. You put something nice-smelling (like lavender) inside and hang it in your wardrobe.
posted by pipeski at 5:49 AM on June 9, 2020 [1 favorite]


Best answer: I don't think it is a pomander, if it doesn't have an opening to put the scented stuff in. Instead i think it's for flowers.

I say this because I did a bit of googling and found a similar Marcucci Deruta ceramic (click on 'view this lot') which is taller and which is a tulip vase. So I think yours is intended to be for flowers. I'm guessing you'd fill it with water and then arrange flowers, all through the holes.
posted by essexjan at 8:07 AM on June 9, 2020


Best answer: Right, it's a vase. A device with holes or divots to arrange flower stems is called a "frog". If you google "vase with frog", you'll find pictures of items kind of like this one (as well as open-mouthed vases ornamented with decorations of amphibians.) Here's a contemporary one for sale.
posted by Sublimity at 8:27 AM on June 9, 2020


Response by poster: It is a vase! I ended up writing to Marcucci Deruta ceramics and I got a reply that it's 40-50 yrs old vase:)
posted by leigh1 at 10:54 AM on June 9, 2020 [2 favorites]


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