Ceramic Threadless Insulator???

[mr2real]

An unusual color of dark green, with hints of brown. Painted brown inside and there is a metal (sort of sharp) object
inside centered. Cylindrical inside, about the same width as the opening and unthreaded. A heavy piece of pottery and I'm unsure of it's intended use. The piece stands 3 5/8ths tall and about 4 1/2" at widest. The opening is 1 1/2". If it is an insulator I clueless as to why the top is unglazed. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks, Joe

 

[mr2real]

Hole in bottom.

 

[mr2real]

Unglazed top, if indeed an insulator.

 

[botlguy]

I built and then sold a large collection of porcelain insulators and do not remember ever seeing that one. I do not believe it is actually an insulator but might be mistaken. The fact that part of it is unglazed does not concern me, the main doubt stems from it being threadless, (some early insulators were) the color of the glaze and it's shape. I suggest waiting to hear from others on this forum and doing some additional research. We may be able to help with that also or you can check out the insulator site, ICON (Insulator Collectors On the Net). Good luck.

 

[cowseatmaize]

To me it looks like a pottery class candle holder for a larger than normal candle.
How deep is the opening and is that a metal insert I see?

 

[RED Matthews]

My opinion from what I see, is that this is a stand off insulator for the lightning rod cable stand-off on it's way to the ground cable system. I have several of them up north and most are glass but they also used ceramics. Check for a book on lightning rod systems and you will get interested in another collection field. I have one light blue glass lightning rod pendent. The only one I have ever seen, only seen. The are pictured on a four bar stand-off usually put on the rod below the wind direction indicating arrow. Glass lightning rod balls, are another glass item I like to collect. RED Matthews

 

[cobaltbot]

I'm going with candle holder or something similar, not an insulator of any type.

 

[BillinMo]

I think Eric's on to something - it resembles a candleholder more than anything.

The shape doesn't resemble any sort of pin-type insulator, glass or porcelain, from any time period. A threadless porcelain would have the firing rest on the base, not the top. Top firing rests came about with Fred Locke cable styles in the early 1900s. A pin hole of 1 1/2" is way too large, also.

It's also much too large to be a stand off lightning rod insulator, and I've never seen one even slightly resembling this pattern, or with a large pinhole like that.

 

[mr2real]

The hole is 3" deep. There is no traces of wax. There is a small metal fragment in the center. Thanks for the replies!!!

 

[David Fertig]

Not an insulator.

Although I guess you could use it as such, but that was not it's original intent.