A Mystery Object’

The theme for the evening was ‘A Mystery Object’. Each member brought something that they thought would be of interest and we had to guess what it was, how old it was and who it belonged to. We had a very lively, entertaining and informative evening.

Everyone met at my (Sue’s) house. I provided two Meershaum pipes from Turkey. I chose them because they are so beautifully carved and thought that people would not know what they were. I also had an Aztec figurine that dates from AD 900.

Linda had brought some ebony glove stretchers that dated from 1920.

Sue (there is always more than one Sue!) had brought a replica cast iron, Anglo Saxon implement with a long handle and a coil at one end. You placed food on the coil and pushed it into the fire to cook it.

Carol brought a wooden nutcracker that she had bought during a wonderful holiday in Yugoslavia in 1968.

Chris brought a teddy bear that was 110 years old. She calls him Fredbear (for obvious reasons). She had also brought a very old and intricate box chain made of gold.

Pam brought a pottery vessel with two small spouts that turned out to have been made by the Chibcha Indians in Columbia who use it for their alcoholic chocolate drink that they make with the seeds etc of the cocoa plant.

Nicky brought two chunks from the Berlin Wall. They had been given to her by two Dutch children who were friends with her children when both families were on holiday in France. They were mounted on a piece of cherry wood from a branch of a tree in her parents’ garden.

Eileen brought an old tea chest made of beautiful wood that she had been given for passing her 11+. Although an unusual present she had always loved it and keeps letters in it now.

Christine brought a leather bag with beautiful gold and colourful tooling making wonderful patterns on it. She had bought it in Italy during a holiday in 1976. A 15 day holiday had cost her and her husband £118!