Messages

1

Antique Questions Forum / Re: Old Hour Glass

« on: January 21, 2014, 01:44:36 am »

Interesting update...My mother had a few moments of somewhat clearer thinking this morning...I told her about this forum and she remembered that this hourglass didn't belong just to my grandmother, but to my GREAT grandmother, who lived in Palestine, TX...She had passed before I was born...Not that that added info would help with a possible location, who knows where it could have come from. But it could very well date it further back...Thank you for the link cogar. I just signed onto it...I'm worried with never finding out, now... I won't sell it for nothing without finding it's possible origin..Everyone who has asked questions and made comments are moderators and hero members....Good questions and info helped me describe it better and look up other sites. And yet there's still one post that has kind of stuck in my head....Bigwull, how did you know that was where 'that man' kept his big book???
Could someone explain Karma on this site, to a humbled 'newbie' please???

2

Antique Questions Forum / Re: Old Hour Glass

« on: January 19, 2014, 02:47:50 pm »

Is anyone here an appraiser? Or have information about how I can find out about this piece? Someone, somewhere must have some knowledge of old hourglasses...I just can't seem to find a lead...

3

Antique Questions Forum / Re: Old Hour Glass

« on: January 13, 2014, 11:49:08 pm »

The texture seems to be an accumulation of years of dust with a little rust...Possible traces of gun bluing are exposed where the textured build up has flaked off ..I don't know what is acceptable to remove and keep the possible value, so I'm not going to       attempt to clean it...The edges of the top and bottom disks are 'coined' and appear to be 14 ga ....The arms are of 1/8" x 1/2" and hand done...All of the rivets are obviously hand done...They do not match in size on top or bottom of each disk..The rivet holding the glass holder to the frame was cut off quite messy. The holes that hold the nipples of the glass in place are hand done...Shiny metal is exposed on the rivets, where the piece sets, the photo of those rivets makes them appear dimpled, but they are flat, irregular and shiny...The nipples on each end of the glass are different in size....There does not appear to be wear on the arms from a 'slider'.....Hope I got all questions....

4

Antique Questions Forum / Re: Old Hour Glass

« on: January 13, 2014, 01:40:59 am »

Thank you for the replies and info...Timed at 57 minutes and I'm trying it again...The sand does appear to be a darker ocher / amber...Under a light ( not as good as day light) it appears to move like sand while gently turned, but not sure how egg shell or marble dust would move... I had tried to look up nautical history on hourglasses with no luck. A magnet does stick to all the metal and it all appears to be of the same type of metal, with rivets that go all the way through..No mark on top of the rivet..bottom of rivet is primitively cut, not a consistent size or shape on any two..Along the edge of both top and bottom disk it has tiny ridges which seem like they are from what ever method of cutting the metal maybe...I have tried to find any kind of mark, but will take it out in the day light to see better and take better photos tomorrow. I hope to find someone who knows about these kinds of pieces, that's why I'm here...I can remember playing with this as a child and my grandmother standing near, to put it back in her bay window in the dining room that held many fascinating pieces. Ones that I was only allowed to look at with permission....I don't know if my mother ever knew the true story of the hourglass..My grandmother liked keeping things mysterious...She even took her wonderful recipe for Jambalaya to her grave...She and my mother were such 'Southern Belles'...lol 

5

Antique Questions Forum / Re: Old Hour Glass

« on: January 12, 2014, 06:46:31 pm »

I measured the metal frame...5" across the end...8 and 1/4" tall....Have to let the partial sand in one side drain, then will time it...I'm sure it will be more than 30 minutes...Will let you know...This isn't a small 10 minute hourglass...just turned...starting at 6:45....

6

Antique Questions Forum / Old Hour Glass

« on: January 12, 2014, 05:41:47 pm »

This hour glass belonged to my grandmother. She knew a lot about antiques and had them all over the house. But this hour glass was especially well guarded. She passed away when I was young so I don't remember the story of it's origin. Now my mother is not capable of remembering, but this hourglass has stayed well guarded over these many years, with the only info about it is that my mother says it belongs in the Smithsonian...I have tried to research it, but have reached no results on historical hourglasses....I would like to sell it, because my life has changed gears into 'get rid of' mode and I'm not wanting to be the 'guard' anymore...It's primitively made with no marks to research, metal construction, the glass appears hand blown, amber colored sand....The way the metal stand is built, and the supports for the glass, are different than any other hourglass I've seen. Could that be a factor in determining it's age and origin?