Colonial cast brass thing...

[OutdoorAdv]

I dug this at a colonial site last weekend. Its brass and appears cast. When I saw it in the dirt I thought it was the bottom to a wax seal and got excited... but its obviously not.

It has a rectangle hole that goes from the bottom to the top, and a round hole intersects it from side to side. On one side of the round hole it appears oblong, like it was a pivot point that wore out over time.





Any ideas on what this went to?

Thank you everyone.

 

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[DownNDirty]

That's a head-scratcher for sure. I bet somebody will figure it out though-DCMatt?

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Thanks man... it sure is a weird one. I was actually hoping DCMatt would see it! I'm interested if he has any ideas on what it might be.

 

[Patriot Relics]

On first glance I'd say a part of a furniture pull drawer, I'll see if I can find a match

 

[OutdoorAdv]

That'd be cool of you found a match. It crossed my mind, but the rectangle hole throws me off.... Otherwise it does look like a drawer pull.

 

[DCMatt]

I'm just guessing but my first thought is - not colonial.


Possibly the end of a high-tank toilet pull chain handle.


Unlike the one pictured, in your case the chain would have passed through the handle and terminated with this tip. A small rivet or screw through the hole would hold the chain in place.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Matt, you're ability at finding things is very impressive man! That looks VERY similar. Thanks a TON for your suggestion and help.

I should have included this in my original post... this site was gone around the time of the Civil War. I'm pretty certain this house never saw plumbing or running water. So this piece could be post colonial and early 1800's, but it should be sometime before the Civil War. I said colonial in the title only because it was cast brass with file marks, and 80% of the stuff I've dug here was colonial and the rest was early 1800's.

The wear groove on the round brass hole is wearing towards what I call the "base" of this "thing". SO whatever went through that, had pressure pointing towards the base of the piece as it swiveled. Honestly, if it wasnt for the rectangular hole, I would have thought this was just a drawer pull end piece.

 

[DCMatt]

OK. How about the same concept as the flush handle but for a clock weight or pendulum.


Again, I'm only guessing...

 

[OutdoorAdv]

That's definitely a possibility. The pendulum rod could very well have been rectangular and this piece slid onto it and maybe was a finishing piece for the pendulum weight.

 

[DCMatt]

My biggest problem with the pendulum/clock part theory is that this is not a precision piece. It is rather crudely made.


It could be part of a mortise lock.


Without additional context, we're kinda shooting in the dark on this item...

 

[Bruce R]

The swivel thingey on one of those bell shaped candle snuffers ?