Mysteries from the Sea (3)

Weird and wonderful things have washed up on the beach over

the years, but nothing as weird as this. 

Looks like some kind of old pressure vessel, at first glance a spray of some kind, 

but a closer look reveals all sorts of screwy enigmas: the nozzle is directed at

the outlet tube; the coils, usually for cooling purposes, seem to have 

no value and impossible to clean out.  It's a brass and copper mix and the 

wooden handle for the pressure plunger has long gone. 

Beautifully made, but for what? An artistic expression? A portable alcohol still ? 

Or a goofball's practical joke? Whatever - great for cocktail conversations.