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Received this request from a friend who would appreciate feedback if you can identify the object, sitting on a green background. She says it's approx 2 X 3 inches, heavy for its size & has embossed pineapples on the 3 upper points.
Received this request from a friend who would appreciate feedback if you can identify the object, sitting on a green background. She says it's approx 2 X 3 inches, heavy for its size & has embossed pineapples on the 3 upper points.
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/SHEFFIELD-SILVER-PLATED-PINECONE-TIPPED-TRIDENT-BOOK-MARK-MADE-IN-ENGLAND-/121205802006?hash=item1c386dc416:g:dXUAAOxyCepScqb9
http://picclick.ca/Sheffield-Silverplate-Bookmark-With-3-Finials-Made-272494049945.html
Looks like it might fit over the edge of a church pew.
Ooops, I didn’t thin.k about he size, but there are a few on e-bay, identified as pinecone tipped book markers.
I’m pretty sure now that it is a portable pool cue holder. It would hold 2 cues and slide over the end of a pub table.
its a boot jack to help you take off your boots
From Rosemarie on Kijiji:
Bottle opener?
Money clip?
The part of the can opener pierces though a can to drain juice?
i think it is designed to be set on side of something…like on the side of a pot to hold the lid maybe. very curious to see if anyone correctly identifies it.
It appears to be a juice can opener. (the ones that poke the triangle holes on big apple juice cans to poor it, for example)
It’s clearly for only occasional use as it hasn’t any way to permanently secure it to something. So, imagine that you are out in the rain with your umbrella and enter a restaurant. You sit down but what to do with the umbrella? On the floor; no, someone might trip over it. Against your chair; no, if you move it will fall. The maitre’d places this device on the edge of the table and you use one of the spaces between the times to prop your umbrella. The device is heavy enough to firmly hold the umbrella and easy to remove when you leave.
This suggestion was just sent to me via Kijiji:
“What about a handle attachment for lifting a hot tray or plate from an oven?”
From Spark Microvolunteering:
“Could it be attached to the side of a table to hang ladies gloves on? Or a bag or an umbrella/walking stick rest?” (Ric M.)
“Looks to me like this item is either silver-plated or solid silver. Did you note any makers marks or hallmarks? My first thought when I saw it was that it was made to fit over the top of a door or the top rail of a chair. If there had been 2 I might have guessed that they went on either side of a pan after it was removed from an oven to carry it. I’ve certainly never seen anything quite like it.” (Steve C.)
“That ‘Pineapple’ you’ve identified is a common decorative design used in woodworking in England around 1910-1940. Seen it before on barley twist pub tables. Bet that thing is some sort of clasp device from that time and place……..Hope that narrows things down :-)” (Stephen B.)
“Could it fit over the top of a door to hang things on?” (Bex B.)
“I really don’t know what it is but it was interesting to look at. I don’t mind throwing a guess out there but it is only a guess. It looks like something that could be used to arrange people that are sitting for a dinner. Their names could be affixed to it through the tines and it could hang on the back of their chair with the opening. Thanks for sharing it is interesting.
It also reminds me of something that could have been used to hold open a musical section for someone that was a musician and again the part that is open could have been attached to something. ( Perhaps the person’s chair in front of you if in an orchestra. )
I moveable hat rest, where you could put your hat on the back of a chair haha. ( I seem to keep coming to it being attached to a chair or something. )
It could have been something attached to a vase with flowers and in the tines a card.
( I think the fruit are supposed to be pomegrantes. )” (Andrew F.)
“They look like strawberries to me. Or maybe cauliflower…
Could it be some kind of fork? The middle part suggests that it could also be something that is put on a brick shaped object. Could it be a bookmark? Or a sign that fits on a suit pocket like a medallion?
The aspect of the metal in the middle area suggests that it was in contact with something warm? Humid? Glued?
Good luck!” (Emilie S.)
“Looks like it’s next to a keyboard – that would make it ABOUT 3×5″. It does look like a doorknocker, but if so it’s missing a piece. The three things on the top are pineapples I believe. Looks like somewhat corroded silver, but I’m not sure. It reminds me in shape of the trident in the Navy SEAL logo.” (Karen J.)
“Could it be a fancy way of holding the pages down on a book as you read them?
I saw on your blog that you got wind that it might be a clamp to hold a table together, but I think that the “artichokes/pineapples” would stick out and be annoying.” (Toby C.)
“A kind of a ancient napkin holder?” (Nando R.)
“According to a historian of the US Revolutionary War (and currently working on Civil War history), it looks to be part of a horse’s tack. It is a sort of belt strap that holds the leathers in place in the front of the horse–on its chest/breastplate. It appears to be more decorative than anything else.” (Amy R.)
“When I first saw the object the thing that immediately came to mind was also an ornament for horse tack. However, a few things seem to speak against this. First, the area where the piece would clip onto any leather appears to be at least .5 inches front to back and that would be a very thick leather. Second, its weight would seem to preclude it from going on the head. Third as a breast collar ornament it would interfere with the motion of the horses neck. Also, are there any signs that it has been clamped onto anything? Is the metal maleable enough for clamping?” (Larry D.)
is it silver? could it be a napkin holder?
I posted more images!
Trdient pinecones, they are a symbol of power refering to the pineal gland.
Which again refers to knowledge, or inlightenment.
In this case perhaps a secterian nature belief of parapsychic abilities.
It is used to sit on top of a wooden frame of a medieval painting or chair, wedging itself into holdings its position. On top of the dining chair of a royal or noble house king I imagine.
The metal is to is expensive to have served a household function.
And its to heavy to be a reprensentative of a weapon.
Jacob Vahr Svenningsen
I think it’s an ornate sad iron trivet. When I googled that, I found pictures that were roughly similar. Can’t wait to find out what it actually is, now I’ll be thinking about this all day……
Mary
The boot remover came from a 102 year old gentleman.
Enjoying all the ideas…like the boot remover best
Mary
Comments from Facebook:
“It looks as though it was designed to rest on something, with the recessed/bent metal backing. Like resting on a fence for example. And of course, the pineapples are normally associated with wishes of wealth.”
“Got no solid leads yet, but we’re thinking it looks like part of bracket or something – for maybe fireplace tools or something.”
“…a (very) decorative (and possible overly large) window sash lift. Doesn’t seem to quite look like a typical lift, but the inset area made me think of that function… or something like it.”
“Here is another view from: Steven Wintergerst ‘I would say this is some sort of decorative shield emblem. The “Pineapples” might be pine cones, or artichokes. It could be held between two wooden boards. Or it might have held a book open…’”
“Another couple of good ideas from the Archaeology page on FB: Liam Collins
decorative bits are pineapples, common eighteenth century symbols of hospitality. Would not have gone over a door for a hook as the projecting parts are flush with the surface and you’d never get something to hang off them, I’d guess a decorative bit on something that closed doors, like a library case or sideboard or a topping finial for a moulding piece on a piece of furniture. Another possibility could be an inset piece to go between two pieces of panelling, but those I have seen before always had fasteners on both sides.”
“I think your right that they are artichokes I put one of the images in google with the word Artichoke and found pictures of artichoke heads that look like the top of the item. I’m thinking its some type of belt clip or item for a hat?”
“Your item reminds me of a very fancy rest for the old cloths irons that were heated on a wood burning kitchen stove.”
Thanks for the feedback! I’m passing everything on to the owner of the object!
This just in by email:
It looks like it might be a clamp to join a table section to the main table. They usually fit under the table into brackets, in pairs on each end of the table. This might be a decorative one. It is hard to tell how deep it is. They could test it.
Regards,
Wendy
Île Beaubears Island
Interpretive Centre
Although it looks like an artichoke, I would say it’s a stylized pineapple. For me, given its overall size and the size of the gap, I would guess it is akin to the new purse hangers, something that you would have brought to a fancy dinner and place on the end of a table to hang a purse, scarf or other object from the prongs at the end.
Never has an artichoke appeared in heraldry, at least not in NAmerica, I think that the obvious question is the offset? What is the depth of the central clip?, Whatever this is, it appears to be made to be recessed into something, and at 2×3 inches, I highly doubt it to be a boot scraper…
It is an antique boot scraper – google it – very similar to those in the images
It helps you remove your boot. Put the heel in the low section, pull back – no dirty hands.
It kinda reminds me of something that goes over the top of the door to hang things like coats off of. The way it is set up you should be able to close the door and still use it.
I believe this is a boot scraper, if, as the photo suggests, the center section is raised. It would sit at the doorstep and the area from the sole to the heel would be scraped before entering the house.
Looks like a trivet for a sad iron. At that size, it’s probably a small sad iron for cuffs and collars.
Looks as though it might be a coat of arms from a family who made/were making their money raising pineapple.
Interesting ……….the pineapples are a sign of friendship and welcoming and so on…..maybe an ornament for a door??? No sign of a door knocker……..
Ferne W.
some form of trident??
A bottle opener?
thought at first might be scotch thistle on top, but looks like maybe a knife of some sort, underside looks like a blade for cutting bark or outer skin from something. Appears to be too heavy for a person to do that though..
I don’t think those are pineapples …. I think they might be artichokes.
curious to see what it is? door knocker?