Need ID 2 Silver Metal Pieces

[anglais]

These are 7"h x 3"dia base, I do not know what they are, someone suggested chess pieces? The top unscrews.

Hoping someone can help. Thank you in advance. Janet

[maxine*j]

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@divwido wrote:

Have you measured how much the hold?  I wonder if they could be urns.

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If you mean urns for the cremated remains of a human being, even if these were completely hollow, they would not hold the ashes of even a small human body.   Sometimes, of course, people split up the ashes among several family membes and friends, so these might work for that purpose, although it would not be easy to do. 

[sonomabarn67]

I went to a storage locker to look at antiques and the lady had two unruly boys. we were at the front of the unit and the boys started throwing "snow" at each other. I learned a few new words from the mom that day.

What about pet remains? They have that creamatorium look about them.

[argon38]

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@sonomabarn67 wrote:

Convince you in what way? That it's a bishop missing his slice?

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If you put the two photos side by side - the OP's and the one in the link - the contours are near-identical. Before I looked at the link I couldn't see the OP's items as being either pawns or bishops. But the one in the link is obviously meant to represent a chess piece (since it comes with a knight!). So: the one in the link looks more like a bishop than a pawn, but is missing the slice, and the OP's items also look like more like bishops than pawns, and are also missing the slice. In other words it's a shared peculiarity, and that's what I find convincing.

[sonomabarn67]

Hmm...

[argon38]

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@sonomabarn67 wrote:

Hmm...

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Put the photos side by side to compare, it honestly makes the difference.

[maxine*j]

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@sonomabarn67 wrote:

I went to a storage locker to look at antiques and the lady had two unruly boys. we were at the front of the unit and the boys started throwing "snow" at each other. I learned a few new words from the mom that day.

What about pet remains? They have that creamatorium look about them.

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Maybe a very small pet.  One pound of body weight results in about one cubic inch of remains.  And the very small opening would make it difficult to transfer the remains to one of these.

[sonomabarn67]

It doesn't look like the "Bishop" in the link has a removable top though. Would love to see one example of a full chess set based on the shape of the "bishop". There should be many kicking around right?

[lovefindingtreasures2]

I was just going to post the same link, they looked quite similar to the above listing, look at the top 🙂

[argon38]

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@sonomabarn67 wrote:

Would love to see one example of a full chess set based on the shape of the "bishop".

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To quote the Rolling Stones: you can't always get what you want.

[sonomabarn67]

 Or even just a few more pieces...

[obojoekn]

Maybe vessels for storing radioactive waste that should never be opened unless wearing protective gear.

Seriously, I would have to go with chess pieces, perhaps for a stone/marble playing board (felt bottoms on pieces). Could be either pawns or bishops. There are thousands of different shapes of each. Shape and size usually are dependent upon the shapes and sizes of the other pieces in the set.  I have never seen a pawn that was taller than a bishop. 

[little.font.lord.leroy]

I have to agree that paperweight/bookend may be the first logical choice.

They would be useful in a temple or shrine to hold a scroll or bible open.

The screw top is puzzling.

I can imagine only two uses/reasons:
1. as a cap, the hollow part being a container.
2. for construction, the brass being turned more easily if there is a hole at both ends, then one end is threaded and the cap made to seal it, however I would expect after all that effort to see a more beatific cap, rather than one that is clearly meant to be opened and closed.

I wonder if it was meant to hold holy water or sacred oil, that could be sprinkled out the top, say for a Blessing of the Animals ceremony. like an Aspergillum. There is an Orthodox type that is more like a tall salt shaker and less like a rattle or brush.

[argon38]

The bishop-like metal chess piece item in eclectic-co's link not only lacks the typical mitre "slice" (like the OP's objects), it also happens to be 7 inches tall (like the OP's objects). Coincidence?

[sonomabarn67]

Just an observation, the OP's two identical objects look to have been made in the 1960's to the 1980's.  The purple thingamadoos look a good bit older than that.

I know there must be a massive search underway for a complete chess set with unsliced bishop's mitres and I am waiting on tenterhooks to see it!

[argon38]

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@sonomabarn67 wrote:

I know there must be a massive search underway for a complete chess set with unsliced bishop's mitres

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But why, if they are bookends/decorative items? Doesn't the one in the link at least prove that some  bishop-pieces have been designed and manufactured without a slice?