Topic: I think this pestle ? might be Nailsea window glass ! Oh no... not again !!

[Paul S.]

quote................."In days of old it was customary to hang a glass ball in a corner of the room to keep it clear of flies. If you go to South America you will find jn many places they use plastic bags fillled with water - and I have yet to find anyone who could explain why this works, or how. But apparently it does."
As we all know, flies circle endlessly around the light fitting which hangs from the ceiling in the centre of the room.        By hanging the glass ball in the corner of the room the flies become confused, feel they are not the centre of attention and leave the premises immediately
I don't know if someone has already mentioned the walking sticks and sickness/germs habit, but............going back to the friggers - walking sticks in particular - and the superstitious would hang one of these on the wall with the idea that it would attract any germs in the house.        Each morning the stick was cleaned, thus removing any germs and keeping the occupiers free from sickness.

[Baked_Beans]

I've got a stinking cold at the moment ....so this glass bulbous rod isn't working.    I'm not going to swat flies with it either in my state (not that we have a fly problem right now ). I will try the plastic bag filled with water next Summer (if we have one) 

Bernard , what a shame if the bell was tried for the first time and it all ended in a pile of shards/tiny cullet !
 
I'm reading Hajdamach (British Glass , 1800-1914, pub. Antique Collectors Club) from cover-to-cover right now and have just got halfway through . It is the best book I have ever read on glass and I just find it impossible to put it down... I have learnt so much !

If there are smaller clappers that look like this one, than it can only be a clapper for a large glass bell.  It would be great to find a picture of one somewhere.....it might be worth having a replica made , using this as a clapper, if a pic. could be found 

[Bernard C]

...   it might be worth having a replica made, using this as a clapper, if a pic. could be found

If you can actually find a glassmaker who would be willing to assist in this adventure, your main problem might be the design of the clapper suspension device inside the bell.

Bernard C. 

[Baked_Beans]

It really would be a highly ambitious project to say the least ! As you say I can't imagine how the clapper would have been attached .

It would be good to find an example of any sized glass bell , with a clapper of this design, to see how it was done .