This brass pot, handed down to me measures 8 1/4 in. tall, 9 in. dia. top (with rolled lip), and the bottom flares slightly to 9 3/4 in. dia. (Reads "Made in England" imprinted into brass on bottom). On each side hang a brass ring from the mouth of a raised lion's head, each head and ring measuring 2 1/2 in. tall. On the front and back of the pot are matching 3 1/2 in. raised circles (obviously separately attached to the pot, as one side is missing the circle). In these circles are the upper torso (mid-chest and up) of (what looks like) an English gentleman wearing a kind of unkempt (soft, unstructured)top hat, topcoat, and neck wrap. Within the circle, curved around the head, reads (raised, capitalized letters) : "TROTTY" (to the left of the head), and (what looks like) "VECK" (to the right of the head). Could this be a spittoon? Can anyone help to identify this item, and possibly its age? Thank you.

-- Kathleen Litwin (BKRLitwin@worldnet.att.net), February 17, 1999