🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Bronze scraper?

[Wobbleshank]

Any idea what this could be? It appears to be whole, made of bronze. Had a hole in the top for hanging, but there's a nail or screw permanently corroded in there now. The top edge is slightly beveled and scalloped to be somewhat decorative, but the other edges are blunt. One face is stamped '"LA". Found on the site of a dairy farm circa late 1800s.

Thanks for your help!

 

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[vhs07]

I think what you have is a back part to a brass iron that would hold a slug, a piecs of cast iron heated on a stove. The hole in yours would hold a rod that would bend upwards to safely raise the piece to change slugs. Here's a similar example:

 

[Almy]

That's a revealing ID to me, vhs07. I've never seen an iron with interchangeable slugs like that. If I do, I'll now know what it is. Presumably there would be several of these slugs heating at the same time and they could just be changed in the iron without heating the whole iron and taking it out of service while the heating was occurring. Ironing could thus be continuous using one iron. A step towards an automatic ironing machine.

 

[Wobbleshank]

Brilliant ID, vhs07! I wonder if there is any significance to the hole being on the face rather than attaching to the rod from the top edge? Been Googling a bit to try to find an exact match--so far, no dice. I guess bronze box irons were fairly rare. Think it's possible to put a date on my lift gate?

 

[vhs07]

Brilliant ID, vhs07! I wonder if there is any significance to the hole being on the face rather than attaching to the rod from the top edge? Been Googling a bit to try to find an exact match--so far, no dice. I guess bronze box irons were fairly rare. Think it's possible to put a date on my lift gate?

Not without finding a match with an iron. I think a lot of these came from Europe. Then again, it could be something else.

 

[Robot]

Hi Wobbleshank,
Long shot...I know if I worked on a Dairy Farm...I would have this for a...Boot Scraper?

 

[pepperj]

Brilliant ID, vhs07! I wonder if there is any significance to the hole being on the face rather than attaching to the rod from the top edge? Been Googling a bit to try to find an exact match--so far, no dice. I guess bronze box irons were fairly rare. Think it's possible to put a date on my lift gate?

It seems these were made in 1900-flogged as "Rare" (an overly used word used today in selling)
Has some good pics in this link.

Antique Brass Collar Sad Iron. French Victorian Cuff Flat Iron with Wooden Handle and Iron Block. Rustic Home Decor.

A rare antique brass collar sad iron manufactured in France in the early 1900's. The French Victorian flat sad iron has been made from solid brass and has a wooden handle. There is an opening at the back to place the heated iron block (included). It was traditionally used to iron a collar or cuff.I

www.lebonheurvintage.com

This site has referenced the date from 1750-1800
3rd B&W picture on the link has dated it 1720-1750

Georgian brass iron in Antique Brass Other / misc

Georgian brass iron. 18th century box iron heated by inserting a piece of cast iron to the compartment below via a sliding door. For similar see English Domestic Metalwork by Gentle and Field. P418. English, circa 1750 - 1800

www.antiquesboutique.com

 

[sprailroad]

Well done pepperj. I do learn things from you fella's on T-Net.

 

[Wobbleshank]

I'm still bumped by the fact that all the examples have the rod braised to the top edge of the lift gate. The one I found has a hole, as if the user could insert a freestanding hook and remove it that way. Sure wish I could find an example of that design, because that would push me the last 1% toward a positive ID and maybe help put a date on it.