Antique Guessing Game

Guessing game

 

You know how I dig the French brocante. You know how my brother Mat (with one "t") gives me a bad time about writing about the brocante here on my blog. You know how if any of you ever come over to France, and go to the brocante with me I have first dibs. And maybe you know that I haven't put anything on my online shop in months because I have been following my first dream: traveling.

Well all that changed when my cousins came over.

When my cousins came to France we went to the brocante. Because after all they are family and most of my family has the brocante bug badly (except Mat… because he is adopted, but doesn't know that.)

When at the brocante I gave my cousins a notebook and pencil, telling them when they saw something they liked at the brocante to have the dealer write down how much it cost. If they wanted a better price they could cross out the amount the dealer wrote and ask for less by writing a smaller number.

They were pros after their first purchase. My favorite purchases of theirs:

Joan bought a green pottery, over hundred year old, hard to find Provencal water pitcher.

Judy bought a 19th century silver dome and pinned butterflies in a glass box.

And Robin bought four oil on canvas paintings in gilded frames.

Of course I wanted everything they bought, but since they were my cousins I smiled and ate green peas (you know I am teasing…) instead.

 

Pguessing game II

 While at the brocante my cousins and French Husband also found something stumped me, it stumped all of us.

 After talking with the dealer we discovered what it was and learned a whole lot more.

Do you know what the object above is?

The first one to answer it correctly by correctly naming the object and its purpose will win something similar to the above item (I cannot mention the prize because it would be too big of a clue. And I am not giving any clues.) Also I will select one creative answer and send a prize as well.

You can guess as many times as you like. I'll announce the winners tomorrow morning.

 



Comments

66 responses to “Antique Guessing Game”

  1. I know what it is, although I only know the name in German. However I am not going to spoil the game for you, that wouldn’t be fair (living so close to France).

  2. It looks like a safety pin, like for dress skirts or riding cloaks or something like that.

  3. When I saw the first photos I thought of a piece of hardware to hold shutters open but the final photo made me think of an ancient hair clip. Ha!
    Ellen

  4. I was going to guess for shutters….but since that is already a guess….how about to hold pipes of some kind? perhaps along a stone house? They’re neat looking! 🙂

  5. It’s an ancient form of piercing that instead of going only through through the lobe of the ear went through the whole outerpart of the ear.

  6. Handcrafted safety pin

  7. From the first pictures, I definitely thought it was a door knocker, but since that would make it too simple, I’ll guess that it holds a toga in place for ancient Romans. Wow, they left a lot of toga holders in Provence.
    If that’s not it then my final guess will be a diaper pin for the giant Goliath of David and Goliath fame. Imagine having to change those diapers.

  8. A safety pin for the blanket under a horse saddle? FYI…if you come upon any antique door knockers in the shape of a hand scoop one up for me. I’m collecting and they are hard to find unless I travel to France 😉

  9. Hi Corey!
    Oh! I’ve only been peeking in from time to time for the longest while – my dear father passed away in March and his passing has flattened me with grief, I feel as though I can barely breathe. 🙁
    I decided to look in here with you this morning and it’s Stumperoonie day, my favorite!
    I’m at a loss (as usual – you Queen of the stumpers!) but I’m going to guess it’s a vintage curtain tie back?!
    I’ll look forward to catching up with you down the road,
    Sally

  10. Your cousins found beautiful things and it was about time Mat found out. I found out I was adopted in a similar way, lol.
    I am guessing it is brooch to fasten a Roman cloak, or a tiny catapult.

  11. Is it a safety pin?

  12. It’s a brooch for the giant’s housekeeper. She hangs keys and scissors from it.

  13. becky up a hill

    chastity belt latch..for sure!

  14. I think they look like they could hold downspouts onto a stone building. Or …..they are latches for inmates either in a jail or patients in a hospital for the insane.

  15. Violet Cadburry

    Fibulae. Ancient Roman safety pin.

  16. Door handle ….or the hand (hilt) for a sword?

  17. First thought………..its a brooch to be worn on a shawl of sorts to pin it together?

  18. Salut15@ aol.com

    A pin for a Chastity belt perhaps??
    A horse blanket pin?
    A crossbow doodad?

  19. I think they are curtain rod brackets to hold up those ginourmous old tapestries…..or pins to hold up those huge Maire Antoinette style wigs !

  20. elizabeth kirkpatrick

    Safety Pin!

  21. For pinning on a flower or boutonniere? Or nosegay of flowers?

  22. A kind of a safety pin.
    A belt buckle that holds a sword.
    A carpenters clamp to hold two pieces of wood together after glueing.
    Cherry drill.
    A pin that a lady would take to opera performance to poke her husband when he fell asleep and the society was looking at him disapprovingly through the theatre binoculars.

  23. I think those are outdoor pins for outdoor cafe drapes.
    Cafe, food, stick me when I’m full. Yep, that’s it.

  24. I agree with fibule cruciforme – ancient Greco-Roman clasp or broach. Perhaps some of these are 18th century facsimiles.

  25. In the 5th photo, the item appears to be held between a double-hung window and a window-sill, where the perpendicular part of the item on the other side is not visible but presumably holds the circular part in place. Is something hung from the circular part?

  26. Salut15@ aol.com

    Devices for hitching up an animal to a post?

  27. The more I look at the photos the more I am convinced they are end brackets, middle brackets and hooks/pins for holding up a rod to hang heavy large tapestry or chateau curtains from. Plus I zoomed in on the price tags and only custom made draperies could elicit the cost of 75 euros per bracket !

  28. Maybe a curtain tie back?

  29. I guess it is something to measure the thickness. When something fits in this it will have a defined thickness. But be careful when you use it at things like noses!

  30. It’s a Fibula. They are or were ornamental clasps that were used to hold clothing together by the Roman and others.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibula_%28brooch%29
    Mahala 🙂

  31. Denise Solsrud

    it is part of a door knocker, hah aha ha ha.Bestest,Denise

  32. georgie

    It is part of pony’s bridle, to hold the reins and you are sending me a pony for the correct guess!!

  33. A latch for a door???

  34. I think they look like the handles of a sword – that’s my guess!

  35. Well, my 2nd daughter just gave birth to her first child (son), my 2nd grandchild and I can tell you that those are DIAPER PINS! You use that item to pin the diaper on the child, then pin the whole child to the crib! That is how it works..That is why they are so large.
    Thank you for asking.

  36. christine

    Drapery hardware

  37. Melrose

    I’m going to guess it’s a hair barrette for a horse’s mane or tail. It would be very stylish and functional, keeping the hair out of the rider’s hands.
    Glad you are back to posting about the B! Despite Brother Mat’s disliking.

  38. Lieselotte

    Might once have been a curtain holder ?

  39. Perhaps people traveling by equine (or equine-drawn wagon/carriage) carried it with them in order to insert into a window, then tie up their animal(s) during a stop.

  40. Victoria

    Cabinet locks… for really big cabinets!

  41. sword handle?

  42. Brenda L. in TN.

    Looks like a latch for a door or a fastener/pin for coats/togas/capes.

  43. Hi Corey
    A door latch of some sort?
    For a creative idea, maybe a clasp to keep our men in tow!!!
    Kathy

  44. My two guesses would be –
    1. Curtain tiebacks
    2. Used in some way for shutters
    Thanks for your blog – always fun and interesting!

  45. A safety or clothespin. Or things that go on the ends of the things you hang curtains on. Or a hook for clothes.

  46. Ed in Willows

    Diaper pins

  47. ChicagoSheila

    It is cupid’s bow!

  48. Kristin

    A hair barret?

  49. Salut15@ aol.com

    Medieval thumb-screws for torture.Ugh!

  50. Were they mounted on the back of church pews to hold men’s hats?

  51. It does look like
    1. a giant hair clip or
    2. a kilt pin but I’m wondering if it was
    3. to hold curtains or a tapestry the other possibility was
    4. the supports for the royal gutters!

  52. It is pinned to ones coat, then brocante purchases are hung from it and the more that is bought at the brocante, the more are pinned to the coat to carry said purchases! Jingling all the way home!
    Mahala

  53. Barbara Costa

    so looking forward to you selling again on your brocante site…

  54. Jude Jackson

    I’m guessing a tatting clamp. The thing that would hold lace in place while women tatted or used tatting needles.

  55. I think it is a bible clasp … for holding closed those old leather-bound bibles?

  56. Marie-Noëlle

    The few ideas I had have been given out … Wishing “Bonne Chance” to everybody while longing for the answer!!!

  57. Marie-Noëlle

    Venturing :
    shutter “stoppers” or “holders” (don’t know the English word)
    to keep the shutters open (against the wall)

  58. mary blanchard

    …it reminds me of a pin of some sort….maybe to pin a woolen scarf….to hold a cape together
    It will be fun to hear tomorrow :o)
    Glad you and your family had fun at the brocante….I look forward everyday to see what you have been up to….thanks

  59. ….Ok…It appears to be a very primitive type of clasp or pinning for heavy type garments, and tapestry, velvet, heavy materials! A multi-purpose type gadget of old. I have visions of it, I must be right! Smiles….
    Thanks for your clever posts, Corey, and hey Mat with one T, Just love her and her brocante bug unconditionally!

  60. To pierce ears???????

  61. Jude, tatting is done with a little shuttle, doesn’t need anything quite this big to make it work.

  62. Franca Bollo

    It’s a pony-tail holder for Yann.

  63. Diaper pin?

  64. Oh…guess not. HA~! Might be a little painful for baby!! Didn’t realize all the photos were of the same type of item.
    Screen latches, maybe?

  65. Laura Russo

    napkin ring…or virgin pin

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