Zoomorphic Wheelock Spanner? UPDATE!

[goldnow]

Had an hour to investigate a new area in the forest where there was some activity a long time ago, and found nothing besides rusty iron tidbits, except for this last hole piece.

The signal was different from different angles and not particularly encouraging, but with no keepers in my pocket, I decided to give it a go before I had to leave. I pulled a bit of copper wire out, and then got another signal, found a rusty piece of doodad, and covered the hole, as I never found three things in a hole before. I gave it a final swing as I was walking away and a perfect tone came through.

It's a Swan thingy, 2.5" long, Bronze, and have no idea what it is for or from.

 

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[hikeinmts]

Re: Zoomorphic Ancient Bronze

Sorry, I don't know Roman. But, looks like a handle of some kind.....you will know better the possible type of metal.
I can see the resemblance to a swan, but .......... mmmmm don't know. Hope so, for your sake.
Someone will be able to put a tag on it. Was to stay with the hunting, even when it's a bit dry.

 

[allen]

Re: Zoomorphic Ancient Bronze

i was thinking a handle also,
maybe to a tea pot.

 

[shaun7]

Re: Zoomorphic Ancient Bronze

Looks like a snake buckle

 

[Silver Searcher]

Re: Zoomorphic Ancient Bronze

Looks like a snake buckle

 

[johnnyi]

Re: Zoomorphic Ancient Bronze

It's not a snake buckle. For one thing, a snake buckle would be a solid casting, not something that needed a square interior support or hollow at one end. A snake buckle also has the head well free of the body. On top of that, there's not a sign of wear on the sharp interior edge of he loop. I agree it's a "swan thingy".

 

[shaun7]

Re: Zoomorphic Ancient Bronze

It's not a snake buckle. For one thing, a snake buckle would be a solid casting, not something that needed a square interior support or hollow at one end. A snake buckle also has the head well free of the body. On top of that, there's not a sign of wear on the sharp interior edge of he loop. I agree it's a "swan thingy", but most probably not ancient.

http://www.colchestertreasurehunting.co.uk/E/snake.jpg

Here's one

 

[johnnyi]

Re: Zoomorphic Ancient Bronze

That's a good example shaun. You see that the head or "bill" does not meet the body, it is just very near. As well a snake buckle is equally balanced, meeting in the middle of it's "s". Goldnow's object though is a head with a neck tapered larger and larger to meet it's body. It was possibly cast is at least two pieces as well, as evidenced by the hollow square joint which broke off slightly above the body itself.

 

[Silver Searcher]

Re: Zoomorphic Ancient Bronze

That's a good example shaun. You see that the head or "bill" does not meet the body, it is just very near. As well a snake buckle is equally balanced, meeting in the middle of it's "s". Goldnow's object though is a head with a neck tapered larger and larger to meet it's body. It was possibly cast is at least two pieces as well, as evidenced by the hollow square joint which broke off slightly above the body itself.

Herer's another...swan type maybe the heads been bent to the body

SS.

 

[shaun7]

Re: Zoomorphic Ancient Bronze

Here's one i found!

 

[spartacus53]

Re: Zoomorphic Ancient Bronze

Not really sure what you found there, perhaps it's a handle

 

[johnnyi]

Re: Zoomorphic Ancient Bronze

"Not really sure what you found there, perhaps it's a handle"

I agree with you sparticus, the swan's head and neck could as easily be a handle, as opposed to a sculpture of a complete swan. Whichever it is, a major clue to dating it will probably be the square opening which seems to be for an armature (or male stud on the larger piece) to join this fragile piece to the larger one.

 

[goldnow]

Re: Zoomorphic Ancient Bronze

Thanks everybody for sharing in my dilemma. The pictures are great.

I'm leaning towards handle, like on a sink. But it does seem awfully small and delicate for that. Wear is equal on all sides, so that is no help. I don't believe there was any more bronze parts to it, and it sat on a screw or a male bit, which like someone mentioned, it broke just at the end of its body.

Could it be part of a fibula?

 

[Silver Searcher]

Re: Zoomorphic Ancient Bronze

Thanks everybody for sharing in my dilemma. The pictures are great.

I'm leaning towards handle, like on a sink. But it does seem awfully small and delicate for that. Wear is equal on all sides, so that is no help. I don't believe there was any more bronze parts to it, and it sat on a screw or a male bit, which like someone mentioned, it broke just at the end of its body.

Could it be part of a fibula?

If you mean fibula, as in Roman Brooch then no

your piece doesn't look ancient enough...sorry and it would be solid cast

SS.

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: Zoomorphic Ancient Bronze

Thanks everybody for sharing in my dilemma. The pictures are great.

I'm leaning towards handle, like on a sink. But it does seem awfully small and delicate for that. Wear is equal on all sides, so that is no help. I don't believe there was any more bronze parts to it, and it sat on a screw or a male bit, which like someone mentioned, it broke just at the end of its body.

Could it be part of a fibula?

As SS says, not ancient or a Fibula. It looks brass Victorian or just before & probably a hook thats bent out of shape. The construction is wrong for a 'snake' buckle piece.

 

[Gunny71]

Re: Zoomorphic Ancient Bronze

May be totally wrong but my WAG, could it be the winding key for a wheelock firearm?
Kinda depends on where it was found.

 

[goldnow]

Re: Zoomorphic Wheelock Spanner? UPDATE

UPDATED;.....

"May be totally wrong but my WAG, could it be the winding key for a wheelock firearm?
Kinda depends on where it was found."

Gunny, I think you might have something there. It does look like a possible 'Wheelock Spanner'. And it was found in area of Italy, where the Germans/Swiss/French all settled in over the centuries.

I googled "wheelock firearm/spanner", but couldn't find any in bronze or with animal motif yet, will try some other searches after this post, and they sell for a pretty penny I see.

AND, I did find on one website in the search, the answer to another mystery piece I found a few months back. It turns out to be a 'cannon breech' (picture in link), and looks like they sell in the hundreds, too. Mine is smaller than those shown, but looks 1600-1700 to me. Now all I have to do is find the cannon.

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,249083.msg1780783.html#msg1780783

Thanks for the lead. One door always opens to another.. Good swinging....I love this hobby.

 

[goldnow]

Re: Zoomorphic Ancient Bronze

"It looks brass Victorian or just before & probably a hook thats bent out of shape."

Just joking about the fibula, Cru.

It's not bent out of shape, as the bill of the swan is one piece with the body. Sure looks like bronze to me, with its dark brown/ green patina. How do you tell the difference from brass? Your dating is about what I think, circa 1800's.

 

[crazyjarhead]

That snake buckle looks to be very similar,. I think Shaun hit it

 

[gunntekk1]

the wheel lock was not on a cannon it was on a muzzle loading fire arm rifle or pistol here is a linkhttp://www.therifleshoppe.com/(623).htm