HELP!!! What is this! I'm about ready to loose my mind!

[talesofthesevenseas]

I think that despite there being machined screws early on, the two things to keep in mind are their availability and how common it is or is not to see them on a piece of any given age. For example, even if its not impossible for them to appear on a piece from 1820, the likelihood of it is very small. In the case of this one, I think I'd have to ask myself what is the likelihood that a guy in the middle east who is hand-fabricating his brass wares would have access to machined screws? Also I would expect to see much less uniformity on the slots especially. They are never in exactly the same place and you see them slightly to the left or the right. There's a lot more inconsistency. Here is an example from the back of my 1810 federal mirror. There are two screws that are very old, and the one in the middle which is a modern later addition.



 

[cogar]

That looks to me like something that was made in India. There are a lot of India Brass items/objects on the market.

[tinkerbell]

i don't know. i'm still baffled by it...lol.. i googled india brass jug, spent hours researching tourist trade metal jugs and can't seem to find anything remotely like mine. i have googled the suggested assyrian and babylonian and the pictures during that time period seem to match even the more noble king in a chair receiving gifts seem right on key. i'm not suggesting it's hundreds of years old but i think whoever created the jug had that time period in mind. my next step, as RJoe suggested, is to bring the screw to a local hardware store and find out the pitch. if confirmed "oldish" i will drive out of state (in my spare time) and bring it to an antique dealer in New Orleans. other then that, i'm basically clueless... thanks so much everybody for all your help with this. if someone is reading this post and has a clue to what this might be, please don't hesitate to contact me and put my mind at rest! lol..

[D&b antiques]

I would suggest it's European. likely to date from the middle of the 17 th century to maybe the 18th century. English furniture was commonly, carved with a story to tell.

The circle & cross is a sun cross. you all so have a man with long hair. likely to have been a wig  which were worn in that time frame.

[Skinny]

Just do Like Joe said and check to see if the threads are any kind of modern standard. Old screws were made by individuals with individual non standard threads. They were made to work in the pieces produced by a particular shop, blacksmith, or factory etc. They would very seldom work in someone else's stuff. Standardization and interchangeable parts are one of the miracles of the mechanical revolution, and a fairly modern convenience. This should tell you what you need to know.

I personally stand by my earlier conclusion. I've seen older screws before, and these ones just look modern to me. I however, am no expert on the matter.

[D&b antiques]

The screws are just one factor.I believe later replacement. Old does not make it rare or valuable.

[talesofthesevenseas]

Are the screws going into a threaded female part, or is there a nut securing it on the other side? Skinny is right, you can take modern screws to any hardware store and find a nut that will fit them in metric or English threads. If it is just an unthreaded hole, the screws could be a modern addition that isn't original to the piece. If they are modern threads and the piece has modern female threads tapped into it, that might indicate it was newer.

[talesofthesevenseas]

Also on the female threads, what purpose to the serve? Are the holding on the base? If you take it apart, can you see any evidence that female threads could have been tapped into it at a later date because an old weld had broken?

Also adding to D&B's comment on age/value... Age may not mean value, but age does have a "cool factor"!