Any Ideas?

[A. G. Maisey]

I've had this for a while, like about 50 years, it took me a while to find out what it was.

I reckon somebody here will know immediately.

[Battara]

Reminds me of a Balinese barong or perhaps a Thai Buddhist lion.

[A. G. Maisey]

Yes, it is Bali, or perhaps Bali/Lombok, but what is it used for?

[kai]

Hello Alan,

Stopper/lid of a palm wine jar? Seems a tad slim though...

Regards,
Kai

[A. G. Maisey]

Yes Kai, close enough.

Not actually a stopper, but rather something that facilitates pouring, the groove permits a controlled flow. The opposite side also has a groove, a much smaller one, that can be stopped with a finger.

The stem that goes into the bottle is wound with cloth or leaves to ensure a snug fit.

[Ian]

Hi Alan,

The function of this item reminds me of similar pouring devices on some of the oil and vinegar bottles in antique cruet sets, that had a spout on one side and a hole on the other which controlled the flow of air into the bottle and therefore how much fluid came out the spout.

A similar principle was found on the large bottles of ink that were used to fill ink wells in our desks as school kids. I'm talking 1950s "ink monitor" trivia, a time when we used pens with steel nibs that were dipped into the ink well (as well as plenty of blotting paper).

Interesting piece.

Ian.