CONDUCTOR'S BATON OR????I NEED HELP+HALLMARKS??

[dinozaur2001]

Hello to everyone .
I found a very wonderful piece on a fleamarket and I dont know what it is.A friend told me that maybe it is a ??? Conductors baton ??? with the top wood piece missing or an ??? old school teaching pointer ???.
Please help me with advice on what it might be.The second BIG question are the hallmarks:there is a clear '' SM '' mark very visible-I think its the makers mark-under this mark there is another,much more worn-out mark wich I dont know what it resembles.I tryed to find it on this site and some others but I had no luck.I cant even tell wich way I should read it.
The pice is hollow.

[dognose]

Hi,

Your item is likely to be a Torah Pointer, but missing its pointed hand finial.

Trev.

[dinozaur2001]

hello
and thanks for your answer,i search on de internet and on a torah pointer ,human figures are forbiden.
all the best
stefan
P.S. if you know something about the hallmarks ,i would apreciate it.

[zilverik]

Hi,

Just a guess. It could be Dutch. SM could be Willem Silleman, Amsterdam. Working from 1780 till 1827. Known as a big silver worker, especially snaps. In 1793 he had to change his mastermark because of fraud.

Regards,

Zilverik

[dinozaur2001]

many thanks about the hallmarks-you are right about the ,,SM'' ,it is indeed Willem Silleman, from Amsterdam(again-manymany thanks).
is it too much to ask what would be the purpouse of the baton???Thank you.

[zilverik]

Hi,

An Amsterdam Torah Pointer looks like a good guess, but I don't know Judaica that well.

Regards,

Zilverik