Can any one me identify this object?

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Photo of a tapered, off-white stone object with a slightly rounded end, rust-brown stains and faint scratches on its surface, lying on a dark background with a red dimension line labelled 3.75"
Photo of a rounded, weathered object with mottled yellow-brown and cream surface staining and fine cracks, on a dark wood surface, with a red dimension line marked 2.25" across its width.
Top-down photo of a cylindrical object with a central bore, weathered tan and brown surface, red annotations showing outer width 1.50 inch and bore width .75 inch, on a dark wooden surface.
Close-up photo of a smooth, dome-shaped object with a glossy highlight and brownish stains, resting on a dark wooden surface.
Close-up of a tapered, off-white stone object with a threaded hole in its top end, showing brownish staining and rough, weathered patches on its surface.
I dug up this object with a rototiller on a friend of mines lot that he has owned for 40 years. I believe this is made of marble. It is semi polished. The inside threads are tapered. I have given the dimensions below. Please help.
LENGTH 3.75"
TAPERED WIDTH 2.25" to 1.50"
THREADED HOLE WIDTH .75"
HOLE DEPTH 1.75"
WEIGHT 12oz.
 

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It could be a Victorian period cistern pull .

A brass fitting goes in the hole and this is connected via chain to the cistern lever .

Most commonly made of china , ivory or wood .

A slightly more posh one
 
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It could also be the working end of a pestle .

http://ab.wsimgs.com/wsimgs/ab/images/dp/wcm/201614/0096/porcelain-mortar-pestle-c.jpg
 
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Of the two the pestle is the one.I had one like it.
The cistern pull has a hole all the way through it to secure the chain.
The pestle is smooth so it can grind.
 
It could be the marble handle of almost anything from an earlier time. Obviously the wooden part has rotted away. I would be looking for other pieces to see if you can't cobble some parts together and then get a better idea of what the greater object is. If you find something else don't forget to mark its location and its distance from the original object. Then you'll get a better idea of the size of the larger object that this marble handle is a part of.
 
And, yes, it does resemble a cistern pull. I actually looked at some online and they are usually connected to a metal fitting which is connected to a chain. I'd be sweeping the area in your garden with a metal detector. That is if you're still interested. Sometimes it's fun to do these little personal 'anthropology' projects.
 
It does not have the end wear expected on a pestle.

The thread does not look like a wood thread. Most brass tube is threaded with 26 tpi. What is the pitch of the thread ?

If marble, the hole would be drilled and tapped, then a bolt in a lathe would hold the article while the profile was cut and polished.
 
Baluncore said:
It does not have the end wear expected on a pestle.

The thread does not look like a wood thread. Most brass tube is threaded with 26 tpi. What is the pitch of the thread ?

If marble, the hole would be drilled and tapped, then a bolt in a lathe would hold the article while the profile was cut and polished.
And even if it was wood, there should probably still be a brass or copper fitting. That's why he should go back in with a metal detector. Any mystery is a good mystery.