Dragon? with cotter pin | ||
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Posted 7 years ago
LisaR
(1 item)
This item was purchased at an estate sale. No info from seller, no writing on item. It's about 4 in long, fairly heavy for it's size. It has kind of a dragon or wolf head with raised scales on the neck (or maybe hair), appears to have hooves, and then the cotter pin in place of back legs....Anyone know what it might have been used for?
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it's very cool looking - sort of mideval look to it. Probably a repro, but a nice one!
Maybe a door knocker(?)
A Fibula ???
Might be a Kilt or Shawl pin
I think Onedtent has it, UncleRon, because I really don't know how you could drive that spike in, and then keep it from pulling out after only a few knocks, but that was my first thought, after I saw the size, and because I'm going to the Renaissance Faire this weekend, I could see that, holding a Scottish Shawl, or Kilt in place! :^)
We thought of door knocker too, but decided the cotter pin would be in the way. The kilt pin is a good idea also, but the cotter pin would be hard to attach without ruining the kilt. I think kilts normally use a large safety pin to hold the edges together. It also has a lot of sharp edges on it that would be very rough on material, so I don't know, maybe?
One question Lisa, are there two front legs, and if so are they split wide enough to close over the pin?
For authenticity at a Ren-Faire, I don't think safety pins were invented until the 19th century, it could have been used for leather also! :^)
It is solid, no space between legs. :-)
I think Bill has it. Even if there is only one front leg, could the split pin still not clasp to it? What a lovely thing it is. Thank you for sharing your find.
I tell you what though, I would wear it on my costume anytime! :^D I don't wear a Kilt, or Shawl, but it would just look cool to show! :^)
I totally agree Bill!! She has it hanging from her antique baker's cabinet at the moment, it looks cool where ever.
Just for the record, my door knocker idea was that you could drill a small hole in the door, insert the pin, and bend the legs out against the door or a washer inside. The problem would be that the figure hanging in the pin's loop could flop around quite a bit and wouldn't be well "poised" to be used as a knocker.
On the other hand, I don't see a way to clip and un-clip it as a kilt pin would have to be used, and there's still the same problem of lack of stability of the figure since it not actually on a hinge as a pin should be.
I think Vetraio is on the right track with a fibula.
See this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibula_(brooch)