Hand-pumped dentist's spittoon used by Lilija Kokle

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Type: Spittoons
Place: American Zone, Germany; Leipzig, Germany; Meerbeck Displaced Persons Camp, British Zone, Lower Saxony, Germany; Ventspils, Latvia; Australia
Materials: Brass, Metal - non specific, Paint - non specific
Collection: John Jankaus collection
Accession number: 1990.0025.0002

Description

A hand-pumped dentist's spittoon, comprised of a pedestal, a bucket and a bowl. The bowl is positioned on the pedestal, and the bucket may be positioned inside the pedestal. The pedestal has a cylindrical black painted brass body, with a hinged door panel, and a stepped silver metal base with four feet in the shape of lions paws. There are silver coloured metal fittings on the body of the pedestal, including a door latch, and two ornamental handles, each in the form of a ring held in the mouth of a lion. The bowl has a circular, stepped, silver coloured metal body with a black interior, and a hand-pump and cup positioned on the rim. The cylindrical, silver coloured metal bucket has a handle with a semi-circular indentation at the apex, and has two vertical seams on the side wall terminating in a looped attachment point for the handle. The black paint is partially worn off the pedestal exterior, and it has a patchy appearance. There is a dent on the exterior surface of the side wall of the bowl, and the silver coloured plating is worn on the inner rim, revealing the brass base material.

Read live from the Museum's Collection API (12/11/2026, 5:44:26 am). Record last updated by the Museum 2026-09-08. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.