Old bronze pot - but how old?

Stumbled across this today... It is 7.5" (19cm) tall , about 4.5" (11cm) across at the top rim. Weighs 37 ounces (944 grams) I think it has been polished somewhat in the recent past (compared to how old it might be), but there are still remnants of the old gunk/patina here and there. Has an interesting copper patch over a hole in the base.

Any opinions on age and where from? In hand it certainly feels very old.

Thanks as always for looking.

 

I haven't a clue, other than the fact that somebody thought enough of it that they patched it rather well, rather than discarding it!!!! I like that!!!

EDIT: But then on looking again, I wonder if the copper brads above and looking at their placement in relation to the patch below have anything to do with a handle that might have broken off?? Potentially a drinking tankard or would something not taste good out of bronze or whatever it's made of????

 

When was the other one with a similar patch and didn't hold water?3 months/6months ago? Doesn't look like they did a good job of trying to solder the copper plate to the base. Polished or just bad cleanup after heating the piece to an unknown temperature to solder the patch.

 

Cool piece, unusual and old for sure, patch is superior tinker-work and almost folk-art ..no idea what for or where from though!

 

looks rather like brass. reminds me of a Hagenauer vase I acquired.

 

There is nothing distinct about it for any real answer, 3 pages of a similar piece with patch.... https://www.antiquers.com/threads/small-ancient-copper-jug.36933/

 

if metal could talk !
I think it's neat !

 

Certainly could be brass vs bronze.

 

I think this is Ottoman or Persian and originally had a handle which was attached where the two plugs near to the rim are placed.
See this one for comparison, the handle is attached only on top:
https://ottomanempire.com.au/product/m202-ottoman-jug/

 

What an interesting piece !!! Cool....

 

Unlike the Ottoman jug shown by Mat, I'm not sure this has any actual age on it. The "damage" in the bottom appears to be a spot where the brass casting material failed to engulf. I just don't see use wear on this piece in the area of the hole and doubt that to be the reason for the hole. I mean, it doesn't look like it wore out from so much use. I don't care if the other side is dented. The patch looks decorative. Just my own humble opinion.

 

Well I think it's super old, texture of wear reminds me of an old (and I mean old) pharmacy mortar I used to own. No call on origin or use yet though ..

 

I also think its old - having it in hand, and having seen a few non-old pieces that are trying to look old, this one looks like it's genuinely old(to me). I could always be wrong. There's much more to the wear on the piece than the patched hole. It looks pretty symmetrical in a few of the photos, but in reality it's majorly beat up with small dents, the base is smushed (from being dropped i would guess) there are dings, dents, scratches basically covering the entire thing...

Blooey - similar to your mortar, I once owned an old ( early 18th cent?) thunder mug / signal cannon, and the texture, feel and even smell of this very much remind me of it.

That being said - the patch sure does look like it's trying to be kinda artsy. Who knows - LOL.

 

to me that hole looks as if it was forgotten on a fire, perhaps simmering something. or if pharmaceutical use a chemical reaction.

 

I know you think this is old, @aaroncab , and I want it to be old for you too! But, thanks for being able to see the patch job from my point of view. It's all just too "pretty" of a patch, but the bottom LOOKS rasped to the max and then colorized with black. It's relatively so small at 7", I cannot see how this was ever used as a daily utilitarian piece to acquire such "age wear"? Plus it acquired that desperate hole in the bottom, looks "ripped" on one edge. Maybe when they were rasping it, they tore a hole in the bottom? idk?

Not sure what in the world this would ever have been used for, but heating it up on a stove seems unlikely, especially after the patch was applied. Unless it has been artificially aged.. And I just cannot imagine that such a small piece would need 6+ rivets to patch it up, I mean, who would bother? Unless they wanted it to look old.

Its circumstances of size and condition are just too odd for me to believe that it is terribly old. It's my opinion that it is a decorative piece, probably quite weighty and smooth in hand, made to look old.

Fid, this looks nothing like your beautiful Hagenauer vase.

 

That's what I'm seeing. Legit old, badly handled.

No clue what it is.

 

Good catch, INH. Thanks. That does look odd, but the application of the patch with heat, as I'm sure it had to be heated to a very high temperature to fit the copper patch, could have caused the ridge line of the base to be hammered out of existence. Even though I don't see typical hammer marks.

 

What you're seeing there as the "ridge line" is an indentation from where that side of the base is pushed inward/upward - probably from a drop. The side where the patch is (not just where the patch is - but that whole side, is not pushed inward/upward, and hence has no indentation on the inside. I'm getting some pics together now to show it better.

 

Here are a few more pics to illustrate the base better. One whole side of the base is somewhat smushed up into the body of the pot. It sits unevenly because of it.



The not smushed side:



The smushed side:





A little better shot of the inside: