Strange piece

[Celt]

This has me baffled, has anyone ever seen anything like this?

 

[Searcaigh]

A cup holder from a Roman Galley

Joking aside it might be a light fixing from an old wooden ship

 

[lowwall]

Lamp holder?

To be more precise, an oil lamp sconce or bracket.

 

[BoltSnap]

The other part to rub for the Genie to come out is missing. Too bad, you could have had your own Genie and three wishes. The problem now is, the Genie is on the loose in the ocean.

 

[lowwall]

Here's an example of an oil lamp holder.

I really like the style of your find. It's got an 1920s feel to me. Modern for that time, but not an expensive piece. I'm going to keep trying to track it down.

 

[Celt]

Lamp holder?

To be more precise, an oil lamp sconce or bracket.

could be some sort of lamp bracket but wouldn’t an oil lamp have the swing with the boat,

 

[lowwall]

could be some sort of lamp bracket but wouldn’t an oil lamp have the swing with the boat,

I was wondering the same thing. "Modern" oil lamps I've seen on boats hang from a loop of the top so they are free to swing around. But these are only used when docked or anchored.

Maybe a candle lamp? But that doesn't seem to match the time period of the piece.

The reason I keep thinking lamp is what else would you want to keep permanently set at a distance from any surfaces on a boat? Space is always at a premium and you don't want stuff jutting out to trip, cut, or bruise you. Normally hardware for stuff that you can't just keep in a locker until needed is mounted with the minimal protrusion possible.

A compass mount would qualify, but that's not going to be made of iron. Or is this brass?

 

[lowwall]

Ashtray!

From a nicely appointed pre-war yacht?

 

[Celt]

I was wondering the same thing. "Modern" oil lamps I've seen on boats hang from a loop of the top so they are free to swing around. But these are only used when docked or anchored.

Maybe a candle lamp? But that doesn't seem to match the time period of the piece.

The reason I keep thinking lamp is what else would you want to keep permanently set at a distance from any surfaces on a boat? Space is always at a premium and you don't want stuff jutting out to trip, cut, or bruise you. Normally hardware for stuff that you can't just keep in a locker until needed is mounted with the minimal protrusion possible.

A compass mount would qualify, but that's not going to be made of iron. Or is this brass?

It’s brass and there’s a worn lug of the inside of the rim. The rim diameter is 4 inches

 

[lowwall]

So there could have been some kind of swing mount if there's a lug on the other side.

Or the remnants of the piece you rested your cigar on.