A cannonball ... a pommel ... or what ?

fernando · 25th December 2012, 02:39 PM

Thank you for that, Jasper.
However ... i can't resist asking you for further comments.
I was aware of pommels being used in scale counterweights, during their reincarnation. We can see a wide collection in the catalogue of the Schweizerischen Landesmuseum.
I also have one of the steelyard scales as shown, where i am using a cannonball weight for a load ... this also something i though was a one man's idea but have recently seen quite a few in two different collections.
My dilemma is: The object in discussion is hardly a pommel, as there is no trace of having had a hole for a sword tang. On the other hand, i can't imagine it having been made in purpose to be a weight, as hardly someone would care to give it a faceted shape for such linear use.
So ... what would have been the prior use this device ? It does look relatively old.

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25th December 2012, 02:39 PM	#6
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Thank you for that, Jasper. However ... i can't resist asking you for further comments. I was aware of pommels being used in scale counterweights, during their reincarnation. We can see a wide collection in the catalogue of the Schweizerischen Landesmuseum. I also have one of the steelyard scales as shown, where i am using a cannonball weight for a load ... this also something i though was a one man's idea but have recently seen quite a few in two different collections. My dilemma is: The object in discussion is hardly a pommel, as there is no trace of having had a hole for a sword tang. On the other hand, i can't imagine it having been made in purpose to be a weight, as hardly someone would care to give it a faceted shape for such linear use. So ... what would have been the prior use this device ? It does look relatively old. . Attached Images