Laos Powder Flask
 

First, I apologise for the crappy pictures. I have what was listed as a powder flask from Laos. Seller stated that it was made of leather. It does appear to be leather, but there is no seam, or stitching. Size of the flask itself is very small, 2 1/4" tall, 1 3/4" wide. Shows a great deal of age. As there is no seam, and it does appear to be leather, what is it made from. The only thing I can come up with is a monkey scrotum, or simiular body part? The plug is wood, and there is a wood or bamboo insert, in the neck. Also on the bottom is what appears to be veins visible in the surface. I'm stumped. Any ideas? M.P.

LOL, I just NEVER thought we'd end up discussing the veins on a Monkeys scrotum here!

Ain't life full of surprises!?

Indded! Certainly if you're a monkey apparently!!


On a serious note, I would think the leather is too thick to be a Monkeys boy-bag.
I would think (and please understand I am no expert on scrotums) that its probobly from a slightly larger aninmal and 'shrunk' down to that size.
Probobly a goat or ram.

ROTFLMAO, too much!!!

I had thought about the possiblity of a bigger critter. Even a two-legged one. (poor guy) Also, Could be something internal? I don't know what, I've looked at lots of animal innards. Fish part? Vegetable matter? There is pleating at the top. I guess it could just be a piece of hide. Seems like being that small at the opening, there would be a seam of some sort. Is it even a powder flask? I bought it cuz I have two flintlock "monkey" guns from that region of the world. Also, it was real cheap!

Hmmm, I tyhought it looked a bit voodoo for a second!
I can only think of one internal organ without an exit and its the appendix, so it not one of them.
Bladder would be the obvious choice but theres nop exit.

There is a long tradition of making stuff out of scrotums.
So I think it could well be.
Unless it is a formed piece of hide and has been stretched and shaved to minimise creaing.
But that seems like a lot of trouble to go to.
Hopefully other forumites will come and enlighten us?

Kino? You must have some thoughts? ;)

Sorry, I haven't an idea of what it is. Could be a uterus.I find it interesting and funny to say the least, of what people do with animal parts.

OT: I work in a hospital where our birthing unit have a friendly competition with other area hospital birthing unit's as to who can collect the most umbilical cord blood. The monthly winnner wins an ice cream social.

Not strawberry, or cherry I hope!

Scrotum, boys, scrotum....
Trenchwarfare, hope you have nightmares for a week!
I certainly will... Male solidarity, you see....
I dread to think what these Laotians of yours used for leather covering of their scabbards!! :eek: :eek: :eek:

I hope it's daggers, and not swords! :eek: I feel sorry for their women. ;)

Heavens no. It was vanilla with hot fudge and nuts for topping

Whose .. nuts?

Oh it is a slippery slope .............
Seriously though ; Trench, can I have that back please ........ :o :o :o :D

Finders Keepers. You shouldn't leave things like that lying around! Weren't you ever told to pick up your things? ;)

Some Laotian guy. :p

:eek:

lol.

Just get here ?? :D

The "Igorots" (Northern Luzon, Philippines) in the past, made lime containers (to hold lime powder for betel chew mix) made of human scrotum (most likely taken from victims of head hunting ambushes).

I guess anything is possible :eek:

:p :D

N. T. Have you ever seen one of those containers? If yes, are they similar to the container in question. Seller may have been wrong about it being a powder flask. It is awfully small, for that purpose. M.P.

Bollocks! :D

Well a long time ago......

Spiral

Eeewwww! I wouldn't want to be dipping into someone's nutsack.
I wonder who decides which warrior gets what part. The bravest/strongest gets the head, the weaker gets the ..........

This is starting to remind me of the scene in Apocalypto where they were dividing up the pig!!! :D :eek: :D

So THAT's what happened to Curious George!
 

The small size of the flask (if it is indeed a powder flask) may be explainable by the fact that for the very fine-grained poweder used in priming the flash-pan, you don't need a great quantity of it at any one time, especially on a gun made for hunting. I've examined a number of those crude smallbore carbines with pistolgrip stocks and locally made flintlock mechanisms, what passes for the priming pan holds very little powder. You see these guns occasionally, they came here as souvenirs of the Vietnam War. The weapons were used by hill tribes in Vietnam, Laos, and parts of Cambodia and variations can be found in Burma and China's southernmost border provinces.

Have you showed the thing to a professor of vertebrate zoology, specializing in primates? Maybe there is such an expert on the staff of, or consulting to, one of our major zoos.

This is venturing a bit OT, but you'd like to know that monkey is a delicacy in Laos as it is in Thailand. I have some Lao friends here in southern Calif., and a couple of these guys say that monkey meat is the best there is. One of them loves it so much that put enough beers in him, he starts concocting all these elaborate plans to infiltrate the San Diego Zoo after hours with a large gunnysack and a small-caliber pistol. Just the thing to send the PETA guys and gals on the warpath, I'm sure, haha!

Duh, there I go not thinking again. Didn't even think about it being for the finer grained priming powder. Always a smaller flask. I have two of the guns you mention. (that's why I bought the flask) Very small pan on each. Both were obtained form Spook types, returning from covert ops, in countries we were "never" involved in during the Vietnam War. My wife's Grandfather gave me one of them. He traded for it from a guy he "never" picked up, in a country he "never" landed in his Goonie Bird in. ;) As far as monkey, I have heard, it is quite tasty. I read "Head Hunters of The Amazon" a while back. Fascinating book. Author said when he returned to New York, after 7 years in the Amazon jungles, he longed for monkey, haveing aquired a taste for it. But alas, not mater how expensive the restaurant. it was never on the menu! Haven't shown it to anyone knowledgeable, as yet. The one person I knew that might have an idea, was our local Zoo director. Unfortunately, he died a few months ago. :(

finding George on a menu
 

A friend (who shares my love of offbeat gourmet adventures) just got back from Cambodia, the primary reason for the trip was that he and the wife wanted to see the Khmer temple complexes, but secondary was his desire to see what Curious George tastes like. We traveled to Vietnam a couple years ago, north to south, and George eluded us but Fido, Felix, et al weren't so fortunate, haha. He got skunked in Cambodia as well, at least in the Seam Riep area where he was. Government banned George from restaurant menus, they figured if this culinary treat caught on with the hordes of tourists he'd really be endangered. The locals bag their monkies on the QT and eat 'em at home, the theory being "what The Man don't know ain't gonna hurt nobody".

A specimen of the lime container is kept in a private collection (not mine) in Manila, Philippines. It is similarly mentioned in a book entitled "Tabayag" (a photo book of lime containers from Northern Luzon Philippines). Unfortunately, no photo there of a scrotum specimen (as the Tabayag book shows lime containers from a different collector exclusivley). The human scrotum is simply mentioned, but I believe there is a photo of lime container made of deer scrotum.

You can verify if it is a lime container ("Tabayag") by checking the inside for traces of lime powder.

The Filipino-speaking members of the forum can probably tell us what "Bayag" means :D

monkey guns
 

hi please could you put up pictures of your moneky guns from laos,as I recently bought 2 at auction in new Zealand,cheers