What Is It? game 253

Here it is, our collaboration with the always amusing What Is It? Blog! Tell us what this object is, if you know. If you don't, make a wild guess!

Place your guess in the comment section below. One guess per comment, please, though you can enter as many as you'd like. Post no URLs or weblinks, as doing so will forfeit your entry. We'll have two winners: the first correct guess and the funniest (albeit ultimately wrong) guess will win T-shirt from the NeatoShop.

Please write your T-shirt selection alongside your guess. If you don't include a selection, you forfeit the prize, okay? May we suggest the Science T-Shirt, Funny T-Shirt and Artist-Designed T-Shirts?

Check out additional pictures at the What Is It? Blog. Have fun and good luck!

Update: the mystery object is an old depth gauge, "for sounding in depths of from one hundred fathoms." Read more about it at the What Is It? blog. No one guessed that! For a minute I thought  Lord_Dissident was going to have the correct answer:

There is some sort of plastic can in the weathered remains of a wooden cabinet, a clock or something leaning on the side, and a large metal plunger on top of it all. Synopsis: it's a pile of rubbish sitting outside with a man (whose shadow can be seen in the grass) hovering over it.

Well, no, but that one was the funniest answer, so he wins a t-shirt from the NeatoShop! Here's a little hint for the rest of you: the What Is It blog often posts the answer before we do, in case you want to look there when no one has it right. Thanks to everyone who played this week!