Noticed this morning that our first two evening primrose had opened yesterday evening. They only last a day, and probably the last ones will open in early September. The yellow is so bright that they seem to glow in the late evening. They are the only flowers I know of that can be seen opening. If you watch them of an evening you can see the flowers actually opening - rather jerkily sometimes.
Earlier this afternoon Ann and I examined a collection. The lower picture is a small part of that collection, and the owners thereof had no objection to me photographing them. It seemed to me that they might make rather good 'mystery objects'. Just to help a bit they all seven have a purpose in common. All (bar two) are of different materials.
Guesses (or more probably knowledge) please.
17 comments:
The Evening Primrose Oily?
Are they all powder flasks?
Will Sir B. get it right again?
Dear Rog -
Yes, I think so.
No.
Don't know.
In that order.
How about snuff containers?
I suspect they are all very much to be sniffed at. I particularly like that Scottish styled mull with the tight curve.
Never seen one in the shape of a double barreled muff pistol before, is that one pewter?
Quite right Rog, and very well expressed; in that, whilst five of them could be called snuff boxes, two of them couldn't (not without offending the Scots).
Bit more inf later, perhaps.
Looks like young Rog beat me to it in today's quest for glory. Is the container bottom left of the picture one of those ones where you have the good stuff in the little compartment and the stuff for handing around in the larger one?
P.S. Will avoid any reference to cats from now on.
Hello Crowbard. Yes, both the horn mulls at the top are Scottish and silver mounted. The one in the shape of a double barrelled pistol is, as you surmise, of pewter. They are rather rare and sought-after.
Hello Sir B. Yes, it is of brass, and, in fact, has three compartments for carrying different grades of snuff.
Gosh, you started something yesterday. I cowered beneath my desk with my hands over my ears whilst you and Crowbar thundered away at each other.
I can only apologise Mike. Would this be a good time to quote Douglas Adams' mathematical proof that we do not exist?
Complete list of illustrated snuff containers, from the large one in the centre of the picture then clockwise from below the large one:-
Large silver table snuff, double ended, two compartments. Dutch, late 18th century.
Very small wooden snuff shoe (brass mounted, early 19th century.
Large leather snuff boot; probably made by a cobler for his own use.
Two horn, silver mounted Scottish snuff MULLS, both circa 1800, the small in the shape of a stylised dolphin.
Pewter pistol shaped snuff box, English, circa 1800 - 1820.
Please don't apologise, Sir B.
Thoroughly enjoyed it to be honest.
I remember the Douglas Adams book, and No thank you, I don't think it would convince me, and it might wake up Crowbard again.
I don't think the Shoedinger's Cat malarkey should have been discussed in a comment box Mike. It's not the place.
I think it is the sort of thing that should be batted back and forth down the bar of the Otter & Ferret with Crowbard at one end and Sir B at the other, each on their 3rd foaming mug of Horner's Old Peculiar. Us bemused yokels would be sat in the snug, probably tinkering with our iPhones trying to raise Wicker-Pedia to find out what was going on.
You put the matter in a nutshell, Rog. There's a time and a place for everything.
I think the redoubtable Mrs B would agree that I have never been a respector of time or place (in either a literal and quantum context).
Thank you for the invite to the Stoat & Weasel Rog, but I can't come out to play. I find a slow half of Old peculiar is a very economical way to quieten my fevered brow and float me off down Lethe-Lane. If the journey to the hostelry didn't finish me off I'm sure a full pint would!
Where sleep is concerned I too have no respect for those foundations of human paradigm, time & location.
Dear sir Bruin, I suspect there are no cats in Wiles 1995 proof of Fermat's last theorem - but lots of algebraic geometry; so perhaps you might expound its subtleties should Mike provide an appropriate blog for such commentary.
All kindly blessings,
Carl
PS Mike the v-word is gsopera can
I like your v-word - G.&S. Opera Cancan- all my favourite music;
but the polite reply to your request is 'Fat Chance'!!!!
Australian Professors of Mathematics, Murray Batchelor & Bruce Henry, offer an interesting exposé of Douglas Adams' ideas on a web-page. URLs are not allowed in Blogger comments so search Google under:-
Parabola Volume 42, Issue 3 (2006)
for a very fine read.
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