Featured From Mother’s Attic - The Oddities

Hello all.

I’ve been posting here and there around the board as I clean out my mother’s attic after her passing. This thread contains the really odd ends found therein.

I don’t expect I’ll find an expert offhand, but even a suggestion as to where to find more information would be deeply appreciated…

Sick Call Kit - Made for a Roman Catholic priest to perform the sacrament of “Extreme Unction.” I have no idea how to date or value this, nor do I know why my mother had it:


Boo-Boo Bunny - I didn’t even know what this was until I read the paper folded up inside of it. Not sure if this is early production or an at-home craft project. These are still made and sold, but historical information has been elusive.





Carved Anthracite - From the days my ancestors mined coal in Wilkes-Barr, PA. This has become semi-popular local art, but this example is surely quite old. Don’t see anything identifying the artist:



Documents file - While researching these objects I saw one on Etsy for $20, so presumed to be of little value



Blue Piggy Bank - No markings, and I currently assume to be without value.



Again, any suggestions as to how to date or value or find more information would be appreciated!

Thank you and have a great day!

 

Did she have a relative who was a priest?
Without seeing the outside of the box, I would guess mid-20th century.

 

To my knowledge we had no priests in the family, although certainly she was a devout Roman Catholic.

If it would help I can certainly post a pic of the case.

 

That would be great.

 

Added a pic of the case to the original post. Not sure how helpful it can possibly be. It’s pretty nondescript.

 

If your Mom was that devout, I wonder if she might have accompanied a close priest on some home visitations.........

 

doesn't look like holy water, looks like Schnaps.

 

Many devout kept and keep sacrament kits in their homes. It's not a priests one, it has no travelling monstrance or chalice. I'm not seeing oil, either. That box looks late fifties into sixties.

 

There is non-descript 1860 and non-descript 1960, both are important when trying to date an item.

 

What does the document holder look like inside. People buy these things I think.

 

Does the paperwork use the words Extreme Unction? That wording is very old school. It went out I think in the 1960s & was changed to Sacrament of the Sick.

 

The sick call kit sure made me think of Linda Blair and "The Exorcist" ! Scary ! of course , it made me think of Richard Pryor and "The Exorcist" skit on Saturday Night Live too.......

 

sick call....... $150
booboo.........$25
coal.............$75
doc..............$20
pig..............$29.95

imo....

 

I grew up knowing it as extreme unction. It was certainly that till at least the late sixties here.

 

I think that it changed with Vatican II which would correlate with your dates.

 

I remember going from Latin to English Mass. We didn't actually like that: the thing about the Latin Mass was you could understand and take part wherever in the world you were.

 

The kit looks brand new. Maybe she intended to give it to a priest as a gift at some point and it didn't happen. I like the valuable document file.