Hello fellow Histarchers,

I have been asked to identify two objects and am at a loss.

The first is a  common buff body witha slip exterior ink bottle  some 15 cm
tall. The question is the name that has been rolled onto the bottle. " P.
LOUPUNT & Co."  This was found by construction workers in a midden that
also contained 20the century materials, including a US Marine Corp.  shard
with U. S. M. C./ 1917 on it. This ties to the transfer of the islands from
Denmark to the US in 1917 and the Naval administration until 1927. Has
anyone hear of P LOUPUNT & Co. or could suggest where I might learn about
them?


The second has me completely baffled. It was picked up by some divers here
and they will tell me nothing. It is bell shaped.  The main body is 33 cm
tall, 20 cm wide at base and has a brass ring 3.5 cm attached at the top.
There may have been a hanging point on the inside. The interesting feature
is the 12 holes spaced around the base. Thes are flared to 2 cm wide on the
outside and travel up at about a 45 degree angle to the inside where they
are a bit over 1 cm wide. The inside  void is 11.8 cm wide and 30.5 cm
tall. The flat base has three depressions to fit some knob on the missing
base plate and prevent slipage. The material is what appears to be yellow
and blank  fire brick, glazed inside and out, except the base surface with
white. I have photographs of this which I can supply outside Histarch.  Any
ideas on what this is?

Thanks

David Hayes RPA
St. Croix, Virgin Islands