Guess what this is

[funja]

this is uhh dusty lol

hm looks like a lamp no cord
kinda looks like its a kerosine lamp but no wik
i really have no idea

EDIT: you put something in it light it and spin it while it is attached to the back of your horse drawn wagon its a turn signal

[donaud]

Ha ha ha ha...


Very creative guesses, but off track

[funja]

a scale of some sort

is it a common object today in a different form

[RBS]

That looks vaguely familiar. Maybe based on one of Archimedes inventions but this looks something mainly for decoration.

Haha, a ZipIt!

That demo video had me cracking up. I was so hoping the ZipIt would come in a clam case for the irony but they were smart enough to put it in a box.

[Crimsonthread]

HEY! I want one of those zipits! I hate those stupid blister cases....... Too bad Christmas is over, I'll put it on my wishlist for next year.

[donaud]

To say it's common today, but in a different form, would really throw everyone...

NOT in this form, I would say.

[funja]

is it a timer

[linkinpark333]

reminds me of a hourglass

[RBS]

Still reminds me of a perpetual motion machine. The tray on top invites something.

[donaud]

Neither, nor.

The tray DOES rbs

EDIT: There IS an aspect of perpetual motion involved with it.


.

[Fern]

For some reason the first thing that came to my mind was also some invention that has connection with electricity, studying thunderbolts or something...
I wouldn't be surprised to find similar looking items in Tesla's room.
A perpetuum mobile generating... something. Dunno.

Edit: My newest guess: a "prehistoric" lighter. You put some flammable liquid in the tray, spin the bulbs that generate a spark that lights the fire - you light your cigar.

[donaud]

Not an incendiary device, this.

[flagalstan]

hmmm. seems like a lamp that powers itself by spinning with some sort of liquid that keeps falling or something like that

[donaud]

VERY close, Flag. It is not a lamp though.

[pepr_mintz]

I puzzled over this for forever.. I think I have it.. but I dunno..

Do the two 'bulbs' go around and the movement powers some sort of heat source that heats things in the tray on top?