This week's Mystery Object.
I purchased the above photographed object in Sweden in July. I've just looked it up in Pinto, who states that we did use similar objects in this country, mainly in the Norfolk fen area. Being a native, and never having seen one before, this surprised me. The dealer from whom I bought it was dealing mainly in treen (i.e. wooden items) and was sporting enough to warn me that the item would have been one of a set of four when in use. The item is of very little value - the price tag on it equated to about one pound, fifty pence, and I think he threw it in as a makeweight in the end, as I'd bought a few nice bits from him. I've included a foot ruler in the photos to give some idea of size.
See what you can make of it.
Good guessing.
9 comments:
Thank you for promoting my new blog via your 'links' gadget Mike.
The four holes are apparently for cord; and four used together might suggest cheap shoes for a quadruped, but I will dismiss the idea of equine snow-shoes or marsh shoes as horses find the tying of laces a terrible bother. Four of them tied together might make a small pen or coop in which to keep a broody hen, but I can't see it being very effective without a lid. Perhaps it would make a folding ladder for a smallish fen-man, but I somehow doubt it. I can however visualise four of these strung together equispaced on two knotted cords, the loops at the top being hung on a convenient bough in an orchard and the fruit placed on them to dry. Such an arrangement could equally be used in a cottage as a linen storage rack or in a porch as a boot rack etcetera....
Oh sorry Mike, it looks as though I'm still logged in as you, to all your confused readers the above comment was made by Crowbard after making minor adjustments to your blog-site.
Try this one for size, I hope I'm back as crowbard now.
Ah, so Crowbard and Mike are actually the SAME person! I suspected the witty banter between the "two" of you was so slick and well rehearsed there must be a reason.
I'm as baffled as the "two" of you were by my recent pop music poser.
I suggest it's a very early IKEA piece - a shoe rack that had metal rods through the holes.
Spare me, Rog! We really are two brothers. I am the senior. You've met me. Now if you study the photo on Crowbard's comment, I hope you will readily admit that, though there is a family resemblance, we do not look much alike. He is the academic of the family -those specs prove it.
P.s And his hair is still dark.
The reason that you will probably never see us together is that he is a recluse. I still have the occasional sociable moment.
Me? Recluse? Bah! Humbug!
Just don't get out much these days.....
And I deny any rumours that I'm in denial.....
And you know I only wear specs so we don't look identical.... Where's me specs?
Hello Crowbard. You amaze me!!! You start off by getting exactly the right answer -snow shoes for horses- then dismiss the idea immediately. Pinto doesn't mention Scandinavian horse snow shoes, but says that in the Norfolk fen 'mud shoes' for horses were used and known as 'Fen Overshoes'. The Swedish dealer who sold me this one told me it was a snow shoe for a horse, and apologised that only one of the original set of four was available. He also said they were particularly useful when dragging timber through snow.
So how do the horses get them on???
Horse shoe-horns ?
They were tied on by the groom/driver.
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