Antique Bog Oak Sander Pounce Pot Irish Lyre Shamrocks

Description

This unusual antique round container  is a pounce pot or sander made of bog oak. A pounce pot was an early desk set item  that  was filled with a fine powder would be shaken out from the holes in the top of the container. It was first used on paper or parchment which had rough or greasy spots. The powder was shaken over the surface and buffed to smooth the paper and make it less likely for the ink to bleed. Later use served a blotter function - it was shaken over the ink words to absorb excess ink and facilitate drying. This pot is made out of bog oak. This is oak that has been buried in peat bogs for hundreds, often many hundreds of years. It undergoes a type of fossilization, which darkens and hardens it. It's light weight, with a matt finish and  is very hard to hard to carve. A lot of it comes from Ireland and it was very popular in the 19th century for jewelry, pipes and small items. It was often carved with Irish motifs, like the lyre and shamrocks that are on the lid of this piece. It's 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 2 inches high. A rare and lovely desk item! Good condition.