Help IDing Handle with Monsters Head

[John_L]

Help ID'ing Handle with Monster's Head

Hi,
I’m from Britain and sort of new to this hobby. I haven’t found anything exciting yet, but today an interesting item popped up. It appears to be a handle of sorts Looks to be a hand-tool, a knife or a sword cane? There is some beast on it – if you look one way, it is a sea monster, but from the other side it is a chimera. I’m having difficulties dating this thing as the site has seen habitation from Roman to Victorian times. I tend to think that the handle is of North European origin and would date to 17th century, but that would only be a guess based on my finds from that field. Among other finds today were 2 roman coins, George III penny and a silver 1872 6d.
Any ideas on the age, origin and purpose of the handle will be much appreciated.

John.

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: Help ID'ing Handle with Monster's Head

Firstly welcome to Tnet

Interesting mystery.

The end fitting looks to be furniture related. However, it would have to have been bent a little out of shape to be a drawer pull. Does it look bent at all?

 

[John_L]

Re: Help ID'ing Handle with Monster's Head

Hi Cursader,
Thank you very much for your reply.
Furniture was my first thought too, however, it is a bit odd-shaped for a furniture handle. The item was made with a curve and does not appear to be bent. It is solid bronze/copper and does not have any 2-piece mould marks. I don't exclude it to be furniture... any suggestions would be welcome. In what period do you think it was made?

John.

 

[Hill Billy]

Re: Help ID'ing Handle with Monster's Head

Looks as if the one end has been broken off.
Door handle?

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: Help ID'ing Handle with Monster's Head

Hi Cursader,
Thank you very much for your reply.
Furniture was my first thought too, however, it is a bit odd-shaped for a furniture handle. The item was made with a curve and does not appear to be bent. It is solid bronze/copper and does not have any 2-piece mould marks. I don't exclude it to be furniture... any suggestions would be welcome. In what period do you think it was made?

John.

Looks Georgian to me but I can't rule out Victorian either at the moment.

Its hard to picture it whole, as I have seen nothing quite like it, but another possibility might be an ornamental decoration to garden furniture or pots.

 

[Iron Patch]

Re: Help ID'ing Handle with Monster's Head

If you picture the other side the same, all that's probably different is it went in the wood on angle.

 

[Monty]

Re: Help ID'ing Handle with Monster's Head

I think it's an opening lever to something. The square peg goes into a female recepticle and when it it turned, the latch is opened? Question mark because it is just a guess. Monty

 

[tuatara]

Re: Help ID'ing Handle with Monster's Head

Hi John,

I have not seen anything like that either and I also would not mind picturing the thing as a whole.
Therefore, I cannot tell you for sure what it is. However, I am pretty much certain that it isn't a door or a gate handle. Your find is too flimsy for that. It looks more like it belongs to a kitchen - a utensil's or a drinking vessel's handle. They are often shaped as some mythical creature like your little 'gremlin'. I have a feeling that your find spent some time under water because the broken part is smooth. Its material is quite old and I reckon that it is pre-Victorian.