Have No Idea What This Goes To

[Bubba65]

Hi All,

As the title says I don't have a clue. I dug this yesterday and after cleaning it up some, it is to something the way all the markings are. The bird is pretty cool on it. With this elaborate of markings it is part of something. It is probably something easy and I can't think of it. Anyways thanks for looking and helping if you can.

Bubba65

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[mical66]

nice find,, looks oriental with the crane and bamboo . will like to see this IDed

 

[bigfoot1]

I believe it depicts a hummingbird in the bamboo.As it was a common theme in early bamboo birdcages it is possible this was a closure clasp for a cage.a simple guess...........

 

[Ism]

Looks like a money clip.

 

[bigfoot1]

Looks like a money clip.

any chance you might show one like it?interesting idea,but without some evidense it is still just an idea.just like mine....a guess

 

[yaxthri]

I'm with you bigfoot1 on this one

 

[artemis moon]

My first thought was a money clip as well, however, now that I'm looking closely, I think that it's a flat piece of metal that was folded over and squished to form that shape. I see the Asian writing, the bamboo and the hummingbird and wonder if BigFoot has nailed it - antique birdcage clasp.

 

[mical66]

ughhh,, i feel stupid after looking closer at the bird,,,lol bigfoot nailed it as a hummingbird. i would want to see more pictures of the cage latch though. at that width and the way it is smashed it could have also been a band ring.

 

[bigfoot1]

these photos show several uses for smilarly shaped metal bands on decorative bird cages...again...a simple guess...........

 

[DCMatt]

I'm pretty confident it is Japanese. If you rotate pic #1 180 degrees (rightside up) you'll see Mount Fuji and a Torii gate under the bamboo 'X' - both distinctly Japanese. There is kanji on it but I can't make it out. The middle character + means soil or earth.

Where was this found? What other stuff was with/near it. The reason I ask is because before WWII most Japanese kanji was written right to left. It makes a big difference in trying to read it. I'm guessing it is "old style".

I also don't think this piece was intended to be folded over. Still working on it...

DCMatt

 

[mical66]

no problem bigfoot,, your guesses are usually pretty close if not dead on, i am just not sure if its part of a birdcage latch,, not saying it isnt though

 

[bigfoot1]

no prob at all mical.I enjoy a good mystery and this is one of them to me.I have been looking in other areas too including jewelry and wind chimes.I truly dont know what it is yet and without an exact match may never know.I submit my guess as a simple avenue for research,kind of left field I know.also,"latch"is too confining a term....,"part of"would have been better.cheers

I do hope it gets nailed..

 

[mical66]

i agree, i usually post what i think it is even if i am not sure , that way it may help some one else to remember what it is or find what it is. i never say i KNOW what it is unless i feel pretty strong about it..lol

 

[cudamark]

Maybe a napkin holder?

 

[grlangfitt]

My thought exactly cudamark. Looks like a smashed napkin ring.

 

[DCMatt]

In pics # 3 & 4 you can see 3 spots where it was possibly brazed or soldered to something.

DCMatt

 

[bigfoot1]

yes matt,
That is the reason I am focussing on it being a part of a whole.

 

[Bubba65]

I'm pretty confident it is Japanese. If you rotate pic #1 180 degrees (rightside up) you'll see Mount Fuji and a Torii gate under the bamboo 'X' - both distinctly Japanese. There is kanji on it but I can't make it out. The middle character + means soil or earth.

Where was this found? What other stuff was with/near it. The reason I ask is because before WWII most Japanese kanji was written right to left. It makes a big difference in trying to read it. I'm guessing it is "old style".

I also don't think this piece was intended to be folded over. Still working on it...

DCMatt

Hi DCMATT,

This came from a property with the house dating back 1810. There was a long line of lawyers who lived and worked here , the original Lawyers office still stands to this day. I have found items dating from the earlier part of the house all the way up to most recent. It for sure was attached to something as you saw on the one side where it has the attachment marks. I am very interested in finding out what it went to, because with all the markings it for sure was ment to be seen. Thanks for the help.

 

[Bubba65]

no prob at all mical.I enjoy a good mystery and this is one of them to me.I have been looking in other areas too including jewelry and wind chimes.I truly dont know what it is yet and without an exact match may never know.I submit my guess as a simple avenue for research,kind of left field I know.also,"latch"is too confining a term....,"part of"would have been better.cheers

I do hope it gets nailed..

Hi bigfoot thanks for the effort you have put into helping me figure this out, it sure will be fun to nail it down.

Bubba65

 

[Bubba65]

i agree, i usually post what i think it is even if i am not sure , that way it may help some one else to remember what it is or find what it is. i never say i KNOW what it is unless i feel pretty strong about it..lol

Hi mical66 thanks also for the help.

Bubba65