Topic: Strange Amber Glass Object. Help Needed Please.

[Stall69]

Hi, I have a weird glass object that I cannot identify its purpose or function, nor its age or maker.
I'm really hoping the wealth of experts here will be able to help.

It is amber coloured & appears to be hand blown as each segment varies slightly.
The over all length is 11 inches approx and 2.5 inches at its widest point.
Its relatively heavy and the glass is about 1/4 inch thick.
Each bulbous section has an oval aperture (on the top) and a corresponding flattened section on the opposite side (on the bottom) so that it stands firm with no 'roll'.
Fluid can pass between the sections.

I cannot for the life of me fathom what it could be used for and I will be REALLY grateful for any information/ideas others may have.

Thank you.

[chopin-liszt]

 :hi:

Hi and welcome to the gmb!

I suspect your mystery object is an insulator - possibly quite old, given the colour. I don't know anything about them, but there are quite a few folk here who take a very specific interest in such items, Have patience, and one of them will come along to tell you more, I'm sure.

(think about the glass things on the wires of electricity pylons)  :thup:

[Stall69]

Wow! That was quick!
And more info in a few minutes than I've been able to discover in the 3 years I've had it!

Thank you Sue.
You've already pointed my research in the right direction.
I look forward to hearing further comments.

Cheers,
Steven

[chopin-liszt]

You're most welcome.
Your location on the surface of the planet might help - it's often a good starting place for investigating an object - although glass does travel all over the world.

[Stall69]

I'm in the UK and this is where I purchased it from too.

Thanks.

[ian.macky]

Well that certainly is a weird one.  I'm sure it's not an insulator.  It reminds me of fire grenades and target balls.

Could it be a "gang" fire grenade?  If it's sealed and the fluid is original, then my guess is fire grenade.  The fluid might be carbon tetrachloride in that case, so be warned.  Original fire grenade are usually marked, I think, and this has no markings?

Other guess: if fluid is alcohol, might be an alcohol-fountain demo (they make hand-size ones now: hold the bulb, body heats boils the alcohol, which jets out in a little fountain and cools off [repeat]; all happening in a sealed glass body).  But this is meant to sit horizontally, not vertically, so perhaps not.

It certainly is strange, and I love a good whatsit.  Don't know what it is, and I am still thinking about it...

[Stall69]

Thanks for your reply.
Just to be clear, it hasn't got any fluid in it.
It has 4 openings, one on each on the bulbous compartments.
If you fill it with water, it can run freely (internally) from one compartment to another.

[Stall69]

Here is a clearer picture.

[chopin-liszt]

It appears to have raspberry prunts on its ends. That suggests somethings perhaps more domesticated - (given it's decorated).

Something to do with ancient hydroponics?

[Stall69]

That was my initial thought too.
Some sort of propagator?
Although the apertures seem rather small at 1 inch long by 1/2 inch wide.