During an expedition I sought out and found this artifact. It was presented to me for inspection by a faithful woman in her seventies who had served as one of its guardians for close to forty years. As precisely as possible, tell me the name of the item in general and offer an explanation for what is being portrayed on its surface.

Send your answers to blogcontest@visionforum.com. Give me your answer and your full, accurate name. The first three people to answer the entire question correctly will receive a complimentary copy of R.M. Ballantyne’s masterpiece The Giant of the North. To learn more about R.M. Ballantyne, visit my son’s blog, Ballantynethebrave.com.