Be the first to guess what the pictured item is by leaving a comment below. If you have your own whatsit, our editors can include it in a future post. Please send an email to editor@kovels.com and attach a clear picture, the size and any markings. Hopefully, we will be able to identify it for our readers!
The pictured item is approximately 22 1/2 by 11 by 1 3/4 inches.
Note: For those of you who signed up to get notified of each response (by checking the “Notify me of follow-up comments” box in the “Add Comments” section) and find it’s generating too much email, you can unsubscribe to the “Whatsitwednesday” comments by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in the “Whatsitwednesday” email you receive.
Photo: Value Art
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Pictured is an iron weather vane with an unusual ball, feather and arrow design.
I’m guessing more of a door bell. Something one can run a finger across the dropped shapes to form a tune, letting home owner know someone is at the door?
An anchor for a boat
I’m thinking some kind of tuning fork, or perhaps a musical percussion instrument.
Weather vane
Ahh Yes, I haven’t seen one of these in many, many years. This is that extremely rare musical instrument called an ” Arroball “. Do you see that handle on the bottom right side? That handle actually moves in and out like the slide on a Kazoo. The three balls are manipulated back and forth by your left hand while your right works the slide in and out. Manipulating the balls causes air to be pushed down, through and out the curved arrow, in the direction of the arrow, which said air is then further manipulated by the relative positioning of the “kazoo” handle.
This instrument plays a very melancholy sound, said to be similar to that of a small pipe organ…..with only three pipes and one foot pedal.
However, I kinda like it.
This item could also be a 1920’s – 1930’s Art Deco weather vane, such as might be found in the garden of a Vanderbilt, or a Carnegie, or even a Rockefeller.
A footed music sheet stand. Top part only.
A shop sign?
Looks like a metal curtain tieback or a shutter latch
An instrument to show the direction of the wind.
A decorative gate handle would be my guess.