🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Hooded man holding some playing cards or fan?

invent4hir

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This small brass artifact was found near at a former home site dating to the 1840s that also yielded a 1930 dog license, needle valve, and part of a hot comb. It appears to be a man wearing a hood and moustache holding some playing cards or fan in 1 hand and pointing to it/them with the other. A bit of rust on the one end could be what is left of a stud that it was once screw to. There may be a “Shriners” fez hat on top of the head – as it doesn’t appear to be broken off.

Any ideas as to who/what this represents and how old it is?
 

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invent4hir

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I'm guessing it's the top of a stick pin. Turn of the 20th C give or take a decade. Victorians/Edwardians were way in to anything supernatural or occult. Maybe this guy is pointing to tarot cards.
DCMatt, thanks for the tip - will definitely pursue. Have a good Thanksgiving!
 

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Russoca

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Hard to tell, does it have a passage top/bottom? Could be a decorative bottle stopper/pourer.

Also....kinda looks like the ZigZag man! 😂
 

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invent4hir

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Hard to tell, does it have a passage top/bottom? Could be a decorative bottle stopper/pourer.

Also....kinda looks like the ZigZag man! 😂
Thanks, there is no passage per se. Still the idea that it is part of a stopper is one I hadn't thought of.
 

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invent4hir

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Including 2 more pics. #4 is the bottom view that shows the iron/steel stud broken off inside the base of the artifact. A rusty crust has formed around the base. #5 is a top view showing the fez-like hat is solid.
 

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DawnNC

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Oct 17, 2019
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This small brass artifact was found near at a former home site dating to the 1840s that also yielded a 1930 dog license, needle valve, and part of a hot comb. It appears to be a man wearing a hood and moustache holding some playing cards or fan in 1 hand and pointing to it/them with the other. A bit of rust on the one end could be what is left of a stud that it was once screw to. There may be a “Shriners” fez hat on top of the head – as it doesn’t appear to be broken off.

Any ideas as to who/what this represents and how old it is?
Could it be a piece off of an old mechanical bank?
Maybe that’s a stack of money he’s fanning out ;)
 

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HuntinDog

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It looks like your picture of the base shows what have been a hole with the stud from another part snaped off in it.
My thoughts are it may have been a lamp topper.
 

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CreakyDigger

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It's interesting that the figure is pointing to what he is holding in his hand. I think it's cards...
 

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invent4hir

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It looks like your picture of the base shows what have been a hole with the stud from another part snaped off in it.
My thoughts are it may have been a lamp topper.
HuntinDog, thanks! I agree w/ the stud snapping off. WIll look into lamp topper. Regardless if I can confirm the ID, it will be one of the artifacts I include in the educational display case I'm making for the property and donating to the owner (local park district). That way people can learn about the history.
 

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CreakyDigger

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Could be a gambler and those are fanned out $$ bills
Yes, that was one of the suggestions. Personally, I doubt that banknotes would have had the same meaning or excitement then that Federal Reserve notes do today. Our modern notes have a universal appeal and agreed-upon value; I think that would have been less likely at the time this was made, whatever it is, when different banks issued their own notes..
 

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