✅ SOLVED Brass finial or rein guide or ?

[invent4hir]

Found this detecting near a brick farm house built in 1839 and inhabited until recently. At the bottom of the 1st picture there are 1-2 threads however no maker's mark appears. Looked at 100s of Google images and several treasurenet postings without a close match. According to a history book a log cabin occupied the site before the farm house was built. Found artifacts spanning this period from a flat button with “LONDON” and 3 stars on the back side to modern coins. Any help with ID and/or age is appreciated.

 

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[ticndig]

hanging lamp finial

 

[ARC]

Almost certainly not a finial.

As a general "rule of thumb" ... finials are almost always threaded inside.... aka "female".

Possible guide but could be many things... even from hitch post.

 

[Digger RJ]

View attachment 2047217Found this detecting near a brick farm house built in 1839 and inhabited until recently. At the bottom of the 1st picture there are 1-2 threads however no maker's mark appears. Looked at 100s of Google images and several treasurenet postings without a close match. According to a history book a log cabin occupied the site before the farm house was built. Found artifacts spanning this period from a flat button with “LONDON” and 3 stars on the back side to modern coins. Any help with ID and/or age is appreciated.

Nice!!! Congrats!!!

 

[invent4hir]

hanging lamp finial

ticndig, thanks for the ID and pic - will definitely look into it. Can you post the website where you found the picture? Want to get a better look...

 

[invent4hir]

Almost certainly not a finial.

As a general "rule of thumb" ... finials are almost always threaded inside.... aka "female".

Possible guide but could be many things... even from hitch post.

Thanks ARC. You are correct about the general rule. Will look at hitching posts also.

 

[invent4hir]

Nice!!! Congrats!!!

Digger RJ, thanks!!! Just hope a positive ID surfaces as I'll probably give it to the property owners.

 

[pepperj]

Almost certainly not a finial.

As a general "rule of thumb" ... finials are almost always threaded inside.... aka "female".

Possible guide but could be many things... even from hitch post.

Fancy rein guide.
I concur on the female, never seen a male.

 

[invent4hir]

Fancy rein guide.
I concur on the female, never seen a male.

pepperj, a rein guide was my 1st impression. Just never was able to find one remotely similar. Will re-try...

 

[invent4hir]

All re-looking at an old thread the bottom of my find does look similar to a pair of rein guides in post #6 (see pic below) - so will mark this solved. Thanks to all!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

The key ID-clue is the object's "provision for attachment." You noticed that on yours the attachment-form matches the typical late-1800s/early-1900s rein guide (a.k.a. "rein terret"). As ARC already astutely noted, "tabletop" lamp and oil/kerosene heater finials always have female threads. A hanging-lamp finial would have to include a way to attach the finial "from above." Notice that no wear-marks at all show at the top of your finial, where a hanging-cord or chain would've had to have been attached... so apparently, it was never hung from something over head. Definitely a rein guide.

 

[invent4hir]

The key ID-clue is the object's "provision for attachment." You noticed that on yours the attachment-form matches the typical late-1800s/early-1900s rein guide (a.k.a. "rein terret"). As ARC already astutely noted, "tabletop" lamp and oil/kerosene heater finials always have female threads. A hanging-lamp finial would have to include a way to attach the finial "from above." Notice that no wear-marks at all show at the top of your finial, where a hanging-cord or chain would've had to have been attached... so apparently, it was never hung from something over head. Definitely a rein guide.

CBG, as always thanks for the confirmation and education!

 

[Gare]

i do not think a rein type guide would have sharp edges

 

[Gare]

When you look at the top picture you see Jagged and rough edges. They would tear up any leather that went through. It may be a type of Horse or animal tack but I do not think leather was used inside it

 

[invent4hir]

i do not think a rein type guide would have sharp edges

Gare, me neither. All those I've found prior are circular - which is why I posted on TNet.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Gare said:
> I do not think a rein type guide would have sharp edges.

invent4hir replied:
> Gare, me neither. All those I've found prior are circular - which is why I posted on TNet.

Okay then, please take a close look at the rein-guides at the lower-right edge and center-left edge and at the bottom edge of this early-1900s advertisement... where you'll see several which are (hollow) diamond-shaped.

 

[invent4hir]

Gare said:
> I do not think a rein type guide would have sharp edges.

invent4hir replied:
> Gare, me neither. All those I've found prior are circular - which is why I posted on TNet.

Okay then, please take a close look at the rein-guides at the lower-right edge and center-left edge and at the bottom edge of this early-1900s advertisement... where you'll see several which are (hollow) diamond-shaped.

CBG, yes I remember that picture in the "old link" I posted last Tuesday. Researching more the same picture appears on The National Horse Brass Society website in a discussion about Fly Head Terrets which according to the article were worn on a horse's head and other parts of the harness such as the cart saddle or even on rump straps. Mainly for decorative purposes. I was under the impression that a rein guide on the other hand is what reins are passed through to prevent them from getting tangled-up.

Still I believe what I found is a fancy rein guide given other characteristics discussed earlier. Plus what appears to be sharp edges in the first picture would run parallel with the reins. So the likelihood of cutting the reins is probably negligible. Had those edges run perpendicular to the reins I think it would cause more wear/tear.