People Solved Mysteries About These Weird Objects From Over 100 Years Ago

It has a hook on the top as well as the bottom, and a couple of long wooden angled platforms in the middle.

iwegian:

It's a valet stand. It holds a man's suit and other accessories.

Looks like a great big autoclave used to sterilize mattresses and bedding.

TheShyPig:

Solitaire Game. It's pretty expensive.

Phurba, a three-sided peg, stake, knife, or nail-like ritual implement deeply rooted in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and Bön traditions.

reflected_shadow:

Antique Soap Saver. Small scraps of soap were put in the cage, and when people did dishes by hand, the soap saver was swished though the dishwater to made suds.

Matsojr222:

Traveling ink well 100%.

We cannot figure this out. Lots of crazy ideas, but none of them actually make sense.

amnitol:

It’s a ceramic dresser valet from approximately the 1950s! The square side is to hold a wallet, and the round one to hold misc small items from your pocket.

Was sorting through a box of old photos from my dad's side of the family and came across this really ancient-looking folded up piece of paper or parchment with fancy inkwell script and a wax seal... At first, I thought the date read "1950", but then I realized the 9 is actually probably a 7, which would make this over 250 years old. The large letters appear to read This indenture so a friend suggested this was an indentured servitude contract.

What's weird is that it's in English, but to my knowledge my dad's family had no ties to any English-speaking countries until his parents immigrated to the United States in the 1920s (they were from the Metz area originally and, according to genealogical records, were still living in Germany in the 1700s) so I can't imagine it was from someone on my dad's side if it really does go back that far. What is this thing??

Linguist208:

It's actually a land sale contract. Indenture just meant contract.
Notice the bit in large bold letters, the third one from the bottom, in the center over the red wax seal, that says "To have and to hold," and three lines above that it says "was formerly the Estate and Inheritance of John Sparks and his wife Mary," and talks about the Parish of Sheffield.

dakta:

It is an antique Turkish brazier, used for heating. Also called a mangal.

eltonnovs:

It's a wild boar tooth.

jjdiablo:

This is an Engine Order Telegraph used in older marine vessels. Allowed the Captain remote communication with the ship's engine room.

msebeth:

Sorry for the letdown... This was part of a set of premiums for malted milk. Very cool, but not very exotic.

The front has a button that can be pressed in. It also come with a matching box. There doesn’t seem to be a clicking mechanism. 

Sparky81:

1930s Art Deco Marcel Franck Atomizer Perfume Bottle.

drowninginidiots:

Soldering iron. The end you are holding is the head, and is usually copper. The other end would normally have a wood handle.

Dances_for_Donairs:

Removed the top of soft-boiled eggs, I think.

StrugglesTheClown:

I think it's specific to the early 20th century. Moroccan Koummya dagger. They look very similar, look kind of the same materials and the shape, and the bevels on the blade look identical.

Pillowussey:

Knot gauge/ speed log. Basically, a boat speedometer. The propeller looking object is in the water, spinning as the boat moves, the rope spins and moves the dial, letting you know the speed as indicated on the dial.

thenewtestament:

It’s a Geiger counter.

Heavy, so probably solid. My best guess is it's a religious relic, since I don't see another use for it.

Reddit user:

It looks like it features images from the Nativity of Christ--the overall shape being the stable where he was born. Based on the artistic style, possibly Coptic (Ethiopian Christians)? Their iconography looks extremely similar.

nitro479:

Victorian fireplace screen like this.