What are these? *PIC*

[Anonymous]

Found while clearing out a garage untouched for many years........
I'm not sure if our photo even has them the right way up. There's no obvious signs of a means of fixing e.g. holes or spike. Size - around a foot either way.

Does anybody recognise them?

 

[Anonymous]

I've got the dreaded red cross - not sure why. The link is
http://www.iandgraham.co.uk/objects.html

 

[Anonymous]

Ask Brunhilde

 

[Anonymous]

I reckon this is that pair of earrings that Brunhilde lost down near Portsmouth dockyard on a busy Saturday night.

 

[Anonymous]

Almost certainly a pair of expanders, they were used in conjunction with a fully adjustable set of heavy-duty, rustproof stirrups, which were often hung from the ceiling; a common piece of equipment usually employed on northern midwifery production lines during rationing – it also saved on down-time at looms and in ammo factory.

Brunhilde

 

[Anonymous]

If they are big enough, the legs/base to a bench for sitting on?

 

[Anonymous]

i thought of that - but if no holes, how attached?

 

[Anonymous]

Oh no, they are not the legs of a midgets park bench as the ladies imply.

These are fire dogs that would be set wide apart for resting female ankles on so that they could air things - or for drying out or storing logs in a large inglenook fireplace or for supporting an extra large log in the hearth (I think the former!)..

Grimmers

 

[Anonymous]

I'd love to know as we've got an identical pair inherited from my wife's father, and I've never managed to fathom out their purpose.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, thanks for all that.......
Do I detect, well-camouflaged, a serious suggestion from Mr. Grimsdale?
I don't know what 'they' are, but my guess is that Mr. G. is right (about logs, not ladies' ankles). A slight reservation about the fact these are so curvy - most firedogs I've found pictured are much more angular - see e.g.
http://www.bygones.net/firedogs_andirons.asp


http://www.bygones.net/firedogs_andirons.asp