Ah, the so called good old days. Well parts of them were a hell of a lot better than now, and others, best left to history.

Could I bother you with one more mystery. Being from Dutch parents (both my wife and I) we could resist this object even though we didn’t really know what it might be for. It could be a cookie jar but it doesn’t seal out air or moisture. It could be a candle lantern but there is no evidence of soot on the inside of the lid.

The ‘canister’ is glass, hand painted on the outside and the framework and lid are brass, all quite heavy and good quality. It measures 34cm (13″-14″) high and around 22cm (8.5″ wide) . We paid $100 (AUS) for it and were told it could well be a bargain because they had never seen anything like it before, it’s obviously old, and it’s obviously quality work. There are no makers marks except for the number 4697 on the inside of each windmill….so, if you’ve seen one before or similar, I would so love to know more.

Much appreciated.

Stephen