Can anyone tell me what this thing is?? It appears to be made of wood and is badly chipped/scratched. It's hollowed out to about half the length of the upper part. There is writing glued to the bottom that says: “Given to me by Mrs. Mark Ruth, she said she knew it to be at least 200 years old then (1949), as she was given it (as?) a young girl by an old lady and the old lady said it was her mothers. Mrs. Ruth was around 80 when she gave it to me. It is to (___) (..lsie) at her request.”
I found this in an old house I once lived in, tucked away in an upper cabinet, and have always been curious as to what it is. I took it to a local appraisal event once and the men there had no idea what it was. I'm hoping someone here has more knowledge.
