Need Help Identifying Antique

[everett2]

Among some military memorabilia from the Spanish American War, I found the item I will picture below. It is made of steel, is eight inches long, and is only about a sixteenth of an inch thick but is still very rigid. I have no idea what it might be. The ridges behind the head are quite sharp, almost like something that might be used to saw something, but it would be hard to handle. If anyone has any idea what this might be, I'd appreciate hearing from you.

 

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[Breezie]

Agree. A very keen observation. No question that is what it represents.

So is it Breezie's letter opener?

DCMatt

Yes, kudos to Yaxthri!

Matt, since it is only 1/16 of an inch thick, and approximately 8 inches long with both smooth and serrated edges, a letter opener would be my logical guess/answer. I GOOGLED antique Italian letter openers, as well as Art Nouveau letter openers, and saw all different configurations of blades, handles, and figures. Even though it has the Italian gondola face, it also has an Oriental look to it to me.

Breezie

 

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[DocBeav]

Better pictures....thanks! The tail end of the item almost looks like a saxaphone or some other instrument.

 

[Paleopilot]

This is a very interesting item! Had me searching for hours...The Venetian, "Ferro", Gondola bow piece, was a good read. The other end looks to be a porpoise, I saw many Italian/Venetian references to it. I found everything from lamps to ornaments with both themes. Gothic, Cavallo and Hippocampus. I have seen that thing somewhere before, It's buggin me! Breeze might be right, what else could it be? Anyway here's some info on the ferro.

 

[yaxthri]

Breezie some great info there, thanks! I always wondered what the gondola stem form symbolised.

Thank you people for the appreciation, always a pleasure to help. This is the great thing about this forum, always many eyes and minds to help solve the "mystery" items found. And always something cool to learn.

 

[everett2]

I really appreciate all of the ideas that have been offered here. I rather doubt that it has anything to do with Italian since it was in a box with memorabilia from the Spanish American War. Other items in the box were a couple of locks from the Jail in Morro Castle, a piece of the rope that held the Spanish flag that was replaced by the American flag, and a piece from a cannon there and one shell. I suppose it might have been some sort of decoration in the Castle.

 

[mdge45]

My first thought was a gondola, my second thought was a ceremonial knife for fish filetting, third idea , maybe a comb of some kind.

 

[bigfoot1]

very quick solve....good job gang

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I really appreciate all of the ideas that have been offered here. I rather doubt that it has anything to do with Italian since it was in a box with memorabilia from the Spanish American War. Other items in the box were a couple of locks from the Jail in Morro Castle, a piece of the rope that held the Spanish flag that was replaced by the American flag, and a piece from a cannon there and one shell. I suppose it might have been some sort of decoration in the Castle.

Well its without a doubt identical to the gondola so I think that makes it Italian. No one is suggesting that it wasnt used during the Spanish American War. Was the owner of these items Italian by any chance?

 

[everett2]

You all are beginning to convince me that is has something to do with Italy. If it was some sort of letter opener, the Italians must have tough hands since this would cut my hands to pieces. However, as many of you saw a connection to Italy, it occurred to me that my Grandfather made a trip to Italy in 1904 where he observed one of the eruptions of Vesuvius. This might have been some sort of souvenir from there, though I can't figure out the purpose. Thanks a lot for all of your efforts.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

very quick solve....good job gang

Its not solved. But we believe it has an Italian connection.

 

[goldnugget]

Loch Ness Monster, my guess

 

[GpSnoopy]

I wonder if this isn't a representation of both the prow and stern decorations of a gondola, artistically joined together.

The "Ferro" or newer "Ferri" is the main part that's been recognized so far, and is a pretty standard decoration for the prow.

History of the gondola

The ferro is the distinctive metal design at the prow, or front, of the gondola. The ferro has gone through over 1,000 modifications since its creation; the curled design is not only for aesthetic reasons, but also to defend the gondola from possible damage caused by collisions. The ferro was once made from soft iron, but modern ferros are made with duralumin or other alloys - depending on the metal used, the ferro’s weight can vary from 10 to 20 kilograms. The unique shape of the ferro is famous worldwide – popular tradition maintains that the six teeth represent the six districts of Venice; the elegant curve signifies the Doge’s cap, or the Grand Canal. The semi-circular break between the curved top and the six teeth is said to represent the Rialto Bridge. The ferro has become a symbol of the gondola, which is, in turn, a symbol of Venice itself.

There is another metal decoration on the stern, called the "Risso", and is much smaller and can come in many different designs, many nautical themed. it'll be interesting to see if this particular item can be positively ID's as a letter opener, or something entirely different.