Projectile?

Bayoutalker · Mar 2, 2019

This has been in our family for as long as I can remember and I'm 63. I have no idea where it came from or when. It is made from a stone or plaster type material. There is a pattern on part of it that looks like gauze wrapping. You can see it in the last pic. It is pretty heavy and hard. We have used it as a for stop for many years.

Any guesses?

Cliff

Kraemer · Mar 2, 2019

An attempt at ART???????

Antique Road Show probably worth $10,000

Bayoutalker · Mar 2, 2019

Kraemer said:
Antique Road Show probably worth $10,000

I wish!

Cliff

SoOregonMd · Mar 2, 2019

Cool Item Cliff

Could me a Pestle ?

Bayoutalker · Mar 2, 2019

SoOregonMd said:
Cool Item Cliff

Could me a Pestle ?

It looks like a bullet, albeit a large one. It's over 4" in diameter.

Cliff

SoOregonMd · Mar 2, 2019

Bayoutalker said:
It looks like a bullet, albeit a large one. It's over 4" in diameter.

Cliff

Well My thoughts on it being a Projectile.

It is Stone.. A LOT of work went into Grinding it down and shaping it. It appears to be old so in order to grind it
It probably was done without Power( electricity).. Seems like too much work for a One time Use type item.

But something with that kind of weight and size could make quick work of Wheat and Corn for flour So I still think it may be a Pestle.

Either that or Some kind of Shiva Lingam Stone :lol:

https://www.google.com/search?biw=1...ccREk#imgrc=C1IgZjW4UZpOFM:&spf=1551583487316

Bayoutalker · Mar 3, 2019

SoOregonMd said:
Well My thoughts on it being a Projectile.

It is Stone.. A LOT of work went into Grinding it down and shaping it. It appears to be old so in order to grind it

It probably was done without Power( electricity).. Seems like too much work for a One time Use type item.

But something with that kind of weight and size could make quick work of Wheat and Corn for flour So I still think it may be a Pestle.

Either that or Some kind of Shiva Lingam Stone [emoji38]

https://www.google.com/search?biw=1...ccREk#imgrc=C1IgZjW4UZpOFM:&spf=1551583487316

I wish I could describe the material better. It's not a natural stone. It appears to be a molded material. If you look closely at the surface you can see the texture. It is not smooth like stone but it is hard but I don't think hard enough to last very long under any kind of work.

I don't think it is old enough to be from a pre-machinery time but I could be wrong. It doesn't look like it has been worked down from a larger piece but rather made the size and shape it is.

That's why we don't know what it is, lots of guessing but I haven't found anyone that really knows yet.

Cliff

joe dert · Mar 3, 2019

Looks like marble to me.. perhaps broken off a statue.. but it's a very clean break if that's the case..almost looks like chisel marks..some stone chisels had a type of serations.. I believe for rough shaping..interesting

TexasLurker · Mar 3, 2019

Looks like something that might have come out of a refinery. Maybe a counterbalance weight on a tank level.

Bayoutalker · Mar 3, 2019

joe dert said:
Looks like marble to me.. perhaps broken off a statue.. but it's a very clean break if that's the case..almost looks like chisel marks..some stone chisels had a type of serations.. I believe for rough shaping..interesting

Not marble for sure. I'm pretty sure it is not a break. It appears made the way it is.

TexasLurker said:
Looks like something that might have come out of a refinery. Maybe a counterbalance weight on a tank level.

I can't see anywhere it ever had an attachment point.

Cliff

joe dert · Mar 3, 2019

That's white marble or limestone..the lines are from a tooth chisel used by stone Masons or sculptures of stone..if you Google around you will see examples of the stone..the tooth chisels..and the marks tooth chisels leave on stone..what was it for? I don't know..maybe ornamental architecture..or it had a functional use maybe..that's the hard part to figure out.

TexasLurker · Mar 3, 2019

Bayoutalker said:
Not marble for sure. I'm pretty sure it is not a break. It appears made the way it is. I can't see anywhere it ever had an attachment point.

Cliff

It didn’t need an attachment, it could have sat in a form fitted basket for ease of changing sizes for different density liquids.

Bayoutalker · Mar 3, 2019

joe dert said:
That's white marble or limestone..the lines are from a tooth chisel used by stone Masons or sculptures of stone..if you Google around you will see examples of the stone..the tooth chisels..and the marks tooth chisels leave on stone..what was it for? I don't know..maybe ornamental architecture..or it had a functional use maybe..that's the hard part to figure out.

I'll have to get it to a rock hound for an ID I guess. It just never has looked like natural stone to me. I have seen a lot of limestone and it is definitely not that.

Cliff

Bayoutalker · Mar 3, 2019

TexasLurker said:
It didn’t need an attachment, it could have sat in a form fitted basket for ease of changing sizes for different density liquids.

You may be right but as far as I know there haven't been any refineries in the area where it has been for at least the last 70 years or more. There is a lot of oilfield drilling but no production.

Cliff

joe dert · Mar 3, 2019

Might be Carrara..a white marble..or alabaster then..there are probably over a thousand types of marble around the world..it's not all "marbled"...take it to a geologist then..it's carved.. with tools..it has tooth chisel marks for God's sake. Google marble sculpting tools..and white marble..and alabaster..alabaster and marble are relatively soft and ideal for sculptures.. I give up..take it to a rock expert then..

Bayoutalker · Mar 3, 2019

joe dert said:
Might be Carrara..a white marble..or alabaster then..there are probably over a thousand types of marble around the world..it's not all "marbled"...take it to a geologist then..it's carved.. with tools..it has tooth chisel marks for God's sake. Google marble sculpting tools..and white marble..and alabaster..alabaster and marble are relatively soft and ideal for sculptures.. I give up..take it to a rock expert then..

I'm not saying you are wrong but if you had it in your hands it would be easier to ID. Those pictures are not the best. I do appreciate your comments and input.

Cliff

HuntinDog · Mar 3, 2019

It looks ceramic to me... like the little round balls in a ballmill.
Don't know but I think it's cool

coptician · Mar 3, 2019

Looks ceramic to me also. Similar texture to the nose of the Sidewinder missiles I used to load in the Navy. Those made incredible knife sharpening stones.

Bayoutalker · Mar 3, 2019

I would have to say it is probably 75-100 years old or more. I'm 63 and it was around and old as long as I can remember. No one in my family worked in industry that I'm aware of so I can't even guess where it came from.

Cliff

medicchief · Mar 6, 2019

I would venture to say it's possibly an Indian artifact...…..maybe a grain grinding tool, or used to form or work leather on. The chips around the base lead me to think it was used to strike something or struck.....who knows. Might have been an old boundary stone??????

Projectile?

Elite Member

Senior Member

Elite Member

Elite Member

Elite Member

Elite Member

Elite Member

Elite Member

Senior Member

Elite Member

Elite Member

Senior Member

Elite Member

Elite Member

Elite Member

Elite Member

Elite Member

Junior Member

Elite Member

Similar threads