Now is the moment you’ve all been waiting for–the answers to last week’s object quiz!
This gizmo is a saddle watch and pedometer manufactured by Ralph Gout around 1800. The horse’s movement causes the watch and outer case to move up and down, forcing the chain to pull on the pedometer mechanism. The lower right dial measures single paces, the lower left dial measures tens of paces, and the outside of the large dial measures hundreds of paces, up to ten thousand. The Victoria & Albert has a similar one, also made by Gout, who received a patent for his improvements to the pedometer.
This one’s an egg topper, or egg scissor. It’s used for removing the top of a soft-boiled egg– here’s a picture of someone using a modern William’s Sonoma version.
The mini-harp is actually a vinaigrette. Vinaigrettes were small containers that contained a sponge soaked in aromatic vinegar containing perfumed oil.They were used to mask unpleasant odors, or to revive someone feeling faint–much like smelling salts. This one dates to the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century.
Like the harp, this little fish is meant to hold an aromatic surprise. It is a spice box, used to hold the fragrant spices used when reciting the Havdalah service at the end of Shabbat. The head opens to reveal a small compartment, and in between the eyes is a prayer written in Hebrew: ”Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe who created varieties of spices.”
So, how’d you do on the puzzle? If you’d like a chance to increase your Rosen-knowledge, remember to stop by our free open house this Saturday (and bring your friends).