Posted 10 years ago
heritage
(2 items)
Can anyone tell me what this small silver tool is for?
It is approximately 9cm long and the circular discs rotate
(and are quite loose).
There are notches down each 'leg' and the sliding mechanism is used to clamp the legs into place, to tighten/shorten the space between the discs. The inside surface of the discs is an unknown hard black material, possibly 'fibre' or Bakelite??
A towel clip. You can hand a bar towel or even a golf towel and hang it from a belt -- something along those lines.
T A
This could be a hem clip. The hem of a long skirt could be clamped, the ridges ensure that the grasp held and the long piece could slide into a waist band or belt .
I have one fashioned from brass and the piece that clicks into the ridges is a figural leaf shape.
The right name is skirt lifter, this one is purely functional.
Google for images of victorian skirt lifter :-)
http://www.belowstairs.co.uk/acatalog/Antique%20Skirt%20Lifter%20SL6.jpg
Listed as 1920's piece. Thank you Kyratango.
T A
Thanks so much everyone! We were really stumped about it. What a great website. Thanks again.