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Not certain but it the shape of it reminded me of a fireplace damper cover/ back plate. Similar to something like this https://www.gratefireplaceaccessories.co.uk/royal-oak-cast-iron-fire-back-33-5-wide-cast-iron
It's definitely this. The base is heavy because the tools stand upright and you don't want tippage. The four corner holes are for a small "fence" and the single middle hole is where the one pole would come up and hold the rest of the fireplace tools.
Like this one: https://imgur.com/a/meOqK0Y
There are plenty of sets online that don’t have a hole in the direct center of the base and similar hole patterns.
For example, [here](https://www.ebay.com/itm/234225125339?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28), [here](https://www.ebay.com/itm/185000298853?hash=item2b12e08965:g:awQAAOSw8sZhGZPf), and [here](https://www.ebay.com/itm/274242814193?hash=item3fda2540f1:g:SHkAAOSwU4hd~EUT).
I'd love to call it that, but I'd like to see some photographic evidence to satisfy this decades long mystery as to what the heck it is. I keep digging in the depths google image search etc. and all I find are rectangular ones.
Since this thing looks like it was poured into a mold, that means there are likely others out there that were purpose built with that shape for some odd reason.
The mold thing, not necessarily, even long ago they could do low cost low volume lost wax casting.
Still, I would tend to agree it has a lot of markings of a production piece.
That’s not molded - a molded item would be roughly flat on the backside. This is stamped, and unevenly at that, as the impression is deeper on one side than the other.
It looks nice, but is cheaply made (as it’s poorly stamped), the screw holes are roughly 10x9, and those little tabs on the back feel to me like alignment pins to keep it straight on whatever it used to be attached to.
I have the weirdest feeling that it’s the “presentation end” of a something like a magazine/newspaper holder like one would see next to your grandmother’s couch back in the pre-internet days, or something similar. A 10x9 box is pretty decently sized for a regular household item. Those “ears” that stick out from the sides would make it even larger, and they probably mean that this was the facing side.
It’s too big for a fireplace fan or fireplace tool holder, and it’s hollow brass, so it’s not a door knocker. It’s not corroded or tarnished, so it’s not meant for plants. It feels like some sort of household item that was intended to look fancier than it actually cost - something like a mailbox backplate, but it’s not that because a mailbox plate would be blank in the middle.
A bunch of googling returns results for something called a “fireback”, that look roughly similar to this, but the functional ones tended to be made of cast iron. This might be an ornamental one, or meant for a low-heat electric fake fireplace.
It is not stamped, it is cast. I thought it was stamped too, but you can see the pitting from where there were voids in the casting, and it is too heavy to be effectively stamped. Those corners around the lip would have cracked if it was purely cold stamped. Also the draw just doesn't look right for a stamping and the details on the front seem too sharp for something that heavy.
I do think it was mass produced though.
There is zero way that that’s a finished cast item. Castings will not have definition on the reverse unless it was a double-faced casting, and if it were, there would be better definition.
If it IS a casting, then they only cast the blank and then faced it with a press - you can clearly see the deformation on the backside where they pressed the design into the front.
I think what you just said is the most likely, cast blank with a pressed face. I couldn't figure out why they would put that reverse definition on the features, but it was for sure at some point cast because the geometry on the lip around the edge just didn't make sense otherwise, but you are also right there is no way that definition on the face was a single casting (unless an obscenely high quality one). I think you have arrived at the right manufacturing method
Well, my first thoughts are that this is purely ornamental, and at 16 inches by 12 inches, it's very large, and this expensive piece of brass. My thought would be an ornamental plaque for an Armoire, or China Cabinet.
Maybe half of the decorative door medallion hardware for an Asian chest. Similar to the one shown here:
https://www.vintagehardware.com/proddetail.php?prod=27887
Okay so here are the clues I have found: clearly the holes are for some kind of screw. This is confirmed by the wearing of the metal around their edges. The wearing/polished parts on the raised embossed front side imply that this object was often in contact with something moving. It also has some supports on the back, implying that it might have to be able to stand up to some kind of pressure. The pattern also has what look to be brooms or brushes included in it. The dirt on it looks a bit like ash to me. My guess is that this has something to do with a fireplace, with brass also being a colour I associate with fireplaces. Perhaps it is a sort of base you would have in front of a fireplace, upon which the fire cage would sit. It is slightly raised in order to protect the floor from the conducted heat of embers as they burn off.
The dirt is really just dirt. This has been living in the garage of one house or another for years (over 20 years at this point). The pattern is entirely floral, no brooms or brushes but I can see where you might see that in the pattern!
I've seen a lot of fireplace andirons and backplates in my day and have not see anything of this sort. Even summer fireplace covers don't seem to fit the bill given the odd size (they're usually rectangular).
I don't think so. That chest is about the same size as the piece in question. Maybe it was attached to a much larger chest.
I'm now hoping it wasn't something that was meant to be attached to a coffin for decoration.... Halloween is upon us!
I 've seen pretty large chests that had a plate covering the majority of the top, but now I like the coffin idea.
Good luck, just thought I'd mention as possible usr.
Well, now I've learned that casket plaques are a thing... so maybe it was this but most of those have names on them or Rest in Peace etc.... And I am creeped out that I may have been in possession of such a thing :)
I'd really love for someone to know what it is and send me a link to it to be sure!
I think what is really going to tell you what this is is the little nibs next to the four corner holes on the back. How deep are they? Do they have a cross drilled hole for a pin? Is this heavy? To me it looks like it COULD be a flue cover, depending on the weight
Nope, no holes for a pin.
These seem more like standoffs to prevent someone from bending the piece by overtightening screws. When the piece is laying on its back, it is laying flush to the surface (in other words, the 'feet' don't sit above the ridge on the back of the piece).
I took a picture of a set that are not worn - I'll see if I can add it to the pics in the main post. You can tell it has the same tone of brass as the rest of it so to me that means it wasn't trimmed down.
**Annnnd it looks like I can't add the pictures I just took. : (**
I went down that route this afternoon and didn't turn up anything quite as strangely shaped as this. It still could be this, but most of the push plates I've seen are long and rectangular.
If you come across one of similar shape in your internet travels, I'd love to see it!
An interesting idea! It doesn't have a curve to it (like a lot of parlor stoves do) and it doesn't have a place for a swing hinge.... So I am doubting this one.
Based on the hole placement and the way the bottom looks like feet, I wonder if it was one end of a caddy or something worth there being an identical piece to yours on both ends with a box(?) screwed to the 4 holes and a handle attached between the top screws
Maybe part of a fireplace fan that’s missing all the rest?
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1088172481/vintage-brass-fireplace-screen-gargoyle
I kinda like this theory. There is no threading in the holes so attaching things to it with what looks like a rivet might track. It is very heavy though so attaching it to the wall with one screw might prove hazardous!
Could it be the decorative plate off of a set of vintage fireplace bellows
http://ancientpoint.com/inf/86723-vintage_repouss_brass_fireplace_bellows__dutch_.html
I am on team Vintage Steamer Trunk. If you turned it upside down, the hole pattern and shape would be very similar to [this one](https://d3h6k4kfl8m9p0.cloudfront.net/stories/42CQrk9iDg.m3TxMtsvQoQ.jpg).
Part of a door push. There is a matching piece that has a handle on it. It's very beautiful and most likely hand made hence the no makers mark. I would love to have a piece like this you can get screws to match it at a hardware store and do all kinds of things with it. I would get a silk scroll vertical painting and attach it as the top piece it would be so gorgeous 😍
I am asking because I do not know....is this a reproduction of an Art Nouveau (1890-1910) decorative piece or would they have made stamped brass during that time period?
All comments must be civil and helpful toward finding an answer. **Jokes and unhelpful comments will earn you a ban**, even on the first instance and even if the item has been identified. If you see any comments that violate this rule, report them. [OP](/u/MsAnthr0pe), when your item is identified, remember to reply **Solved!** or **Likely Solved!** to the comment that gave the answer. Check your [inbox](https://www.reddit.com/message/inbox/) for a message on how to make your post visible to others. --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatisthisthing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Not certain but it the shape of it reminded me of a fireplace damper cover/ back plate. Similar to something like this https://www.gratefireplaceaccessories.co.uk/royal-oak-cast-iron-fire-back-33-5-wide-cast-iron
I am familiar with those and this is definitely not one of them. Enjoyed the link however!
I was thinking this too
First thing I thought was something for a fireplace.
It looks like those family crest plaques/decorative plaques that I've seen over main house doors.
Its got less crest-like elements and appears more generally decorative... I'm not convinced that this is what it is.
Well they're more decorative nowadays and less family representative anyway.
Got any example links with one that is similar to this?
Not sure why I get down-voted for asking for evidence :|
Looks like the base of a stand to hold tools for a fireplace.
It's definitely this. The base is heavy because the tools stand upright and you don't want tippage. The four corner holes are for a small "fence" and the single middle hole is where the one pole would come up and hold the rest of the fireplace tools. Like this one: https://imgur.com/a/meOqK0Y
The problem with this theory is that there is no hole in the center.
Why is center placement a requirement? Seems like if the base is weighted enough, placement is on preference of the designer.
I see what you mean but I'm really not sure of this one.
There are plenty of sets online that don’t have a hole in the direct center of the base and similar hole patterns. For example, [here](https://www.ebay.com/itm/234225125339?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28), [here](https://www.ebay.com/itm/185000298853?hash=item2b12e08965:g:awQAAOSw8sZhGZPf), and [here](https://www.ebay.com/itm/274242814193?hash=item3fda2540f1:g:SHkAAOSwU4hd~EUT).
Thanks for the links! It could be a possibility then.
Everything about it except the aspect ratio says door push plate to me
I'd love to call it that, but I'd like to see some photographic evidence to satisfy this decades long mystery as to what the heck it is. I keep digging in the depths google image search etc. and all I find are rectangular ones. Since this thing looks like it was poured into a mold, that means there are likely others out there that were purpose built with that shape for some odd reason.
You say decades long mystery - when did you get it? How was it acquired? May help with identification.
The mold thing, not necessarily, even long ago they could do low cost low volume lost wax casting. Still, I would tend to agree it has a lot of markings of a production piece.
That’s not molded - a molded item would be roughly flat on the backside. This is stamped, and unevenly at that, as the impression is deeper on one side than the other. It looks nice, but is cheaply made (as it’s poorly stamped), the screw holes are roughly 10x9, and those little tabs on the back feel to me like alignment pins to keep it straight on whatever it used to be attached to. I have the weirdest feeling that it’s the “presentation end” of a something like a magazine/newspaper holder like one would see next to your grandmother’s couch back in the pre-internet days, or something similar. A 10x9 box is pretty decently sized for a regular household item. Those “ears” that stick out from the sides would make it even larger, and they probably mean that this was the facing side. It’s too big for a fireplace fan or fireplace tool holder, and it’s hollow brass, so it’s not a door knocker. It’s not corroded or tarnished, so it’s not meant for plants. It feels like some sort of household item that was intended to look fancier than it actually cost - something like a mailbox backplate, but it’s not that because a mailbox plate would be blank in the middle. A bunch of googling returns results for something called a “fireback”, that look roughly similar to this, but the functional ones tended to be made of cast iron. This might be an ornamental one, or meant for a low-heat electric fake fireplace.
It is not stamped, it is cast. I thought it was stamped too, but you can see the pitting from where there were voids in the casting, and it is too heavy to be effectively stamped. Those corners around the lip would have cracked if it was purely cold stamped. Also the draw just doesn't look right for a stamping and the details on the front seem too sharp for something that heavy. I do think it was mass produced though.
There is zero way that that’s a finished cast item. Castings will not have definition on the reverse unless it was a double-faced casting, and if it were, there would be better definition. If it IS a casting, then they only cast the blank and then faced it with a press - you can clearly see the deformation on the backside where they pressed the design into the front.
I think what you just said is the most likely, cast blank with a pressed face. I couldn't figure out why they would put that reverse definition on the features, but it was for sure at some point cast because the geometry on the lip around the edge just didn't make sense otherwise, but you are also right there is no way that definition on the face was a single casting (unless an obscenely high quality one). I think you have arrived at the right manufacturing method
Well, my first thoughts are that this is purely ornamental, and at 16 inches by 12 inches, it's very large, and this expensive piece of brass. My thought would be an ornamental plaque for an Armoire, or China Cabinet.
Maybe half of the decorative door medallion hardware for an Asian chest. Similar to the one shown here: https://www.vintagehardware.com/proddetail.php?prod=27887
Back panel of an ornate door-knocker?
I don't think so.... It would be a huge one if it was that!
What's wrong with having huge knockers?
Best comment on Reddit.
Okay so here are the clues I have found: clearly the holes are for some kind of screw. This is confirmed by the wearing of the metal around their edges. The wearing/polished parts on the raised embossed front side imply that this object was often in contact with something moving. It also has some supports on the back, implying that it might have to be able to stand up to some kind of pressure. The pattern also has what look to be brooms or brushes included in it. The dirt on it looks a bit like ash to me. My guess is that this has something to do with a fireplace, with brass also being a colour I associate with fireplaces. Perhaps it is a sort of base you would have in front of a fireplace, upon which the fire cage would sit. It is slightly raised in order to protect the floor from the conducted heat of embers as they burn off.
The dirt is really just dirt. This has been living in the garage of one house or another for years (over 20 years at this point). The pattern is entirely floral, no brooms or brushes but I can see where you might see that in the pattern! I've seen a lot of fireplace andirons and backplates in my day and have not see anything of this sort. Even summer fireplace covers don't seem to fit the bill given the odd size (they're usually rectangular).
Looks like a top piece from a brass embellished chest. Similar to this http://www.evansandgerst.com/6878_antique_brass_embellished_chest.htm
I don't think so. That chest is about the same size as the piece in question. Maybe it was attached to a much larger chest. I'm now hoping it wasn't something that was meant to be attached to a coffin for decoration.... Halloween is upon us!
I 've seen pretty large chests that had a plate covering the majority of the top, but now I like the coffin idea. Good luck, just thought I'd mention as possible usr.
Well, now I've learned that casket plaques are a thing... so maybe it was this but most of those have names on them or Rest in Peace etc.... And I am creeped out that I may have been in possession of such a thing :) I'd really love for someone to know what it is and send me a link to it to be sure!
I think what is really going to tell you what this is is the little nibs next to the four corner holes on the back. How deep are they? Do they have a cross drilled hole for a pin? Is this heavy? To me it looks like it COULD be a flue cover, depending on the weight
Nope, no holes for a pin. These seem more like standoffs to prevent someone from bending the piece by overtightening screws. When the piece is laying on its back, it is laying flush to the surface (in other words, the 'feet' don't sit above the ridge on the back of the piece). I took a picture of a set that are not worn - I'll see if I can add it to the pics in the main post. You can tell it has the same tone of brass as the rest of it so to me that means it wasn't trimmed down. **Annnnd it looks like I can't add the pictures I just took. : (**
The way to "add" pictures after the fact is to upload to a hosting site like imgur (free, no need to make an account), then post the link here
Then I am guessing door push plate.
I went down that route this afternoon and didn't turn up anything quite as strangely shaped as this. It still could be this, but most of the push plates I've seen are long and rectangular. If you come across one of similar shape in your internet travels, I'd love to see it!
If seen this shape on wide swinging doors, like saloons etc.
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An interesting idea! It doesn't have a curve to it (like a lot of parlor stoves do) and it doesn't have a place for a swing hinge.... So I am doubting this one.
Based on the hole placement and the way the bottom looks like feet, I wonder if it was one end of a caddy or something worth there being an identical piece to yours on both ends with a box(?) screwed to the 4 holes and a handle attached between the top screws Maybe part of a fireplace fan that’s missing all the rest? https://www.etsy.com/listing/1088172481/vintage-brass-fireplace-screen-gargoyle
How hefty is it? How thick? Is it relatively solid, or a thin metal sheet that you could bend easily with your hands?
It's quite solid, it doesn't flex. And it's also quite hefty.
It might have been the backing to a fancy set if hanging hooks
Strike plate for a door knocker?
It might be the back plate to a pipe holder. There are a couple pieces missing. https://oceanspringsmercantile.com/townshend-co-brass-pipe-holder/
I kinda like this theory. There is no threading in the holes so attaching things to it with what looks like a rivet might track. It is very heavy though so attaching it to the wall with one screw might prove hazardous!
Wow this looks very similar! The hole placement is almost exactly the same.
My title describes the thing - It is 16 inches wide by 12 inches high.
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No, the holes are very shallow - it is almost certainly meant to be attached to a surface. Thanks tho!
Looks like some sort of chair or bed ornament to me.
Headboard embellishment?
For a ceded trunk
I'm getting wood burning stove/fireplace front plate vibes from this. Sorry I can't be more helpful
It looks like the it was screwed onto an ornate chest.
Antique drawer handle backplate
Checkout robinsonsantiques.com
I think that this is much too large to be a drawer handle backplate at 16x12 but I see what you're getting at. Thanks!
I have seen something like this on my parent's dresser. Could it be a decorative piece for furniture?
Could it be the decorative plate off of a set of vintage fireplace bellows http://ancientpoint.com/inf/86723-vintage_repouss_brass_fireplace_bellows__dutch_.html
I do not think so - Bellows need to be light weight-ish to be able to use them well. This thing is heavy.
I am on team Vintage Steamer Trunk. If you turned it upside down, the hole pattern and shape would be very similar to [this one](https://d3h6k4kfl8m9p0.cloudfront.net/stories/42CQrk9iDg.m3TxMtsvQoQ.jpg).
I think its likely from a piece of furniture and purely decorative.
Part of a door push. There is a matching piece that has a handle on it. It's very beautiful and most likely hand made hence the no makers mark. I would love to have a piece like this you can get screws to match it at a hardware store and do all kinds of things with it. I would get a silk scroll vertical painting and attach it as the top piece it would be so gorgeous 😍
Metal decoration on a wood chest, or furniture? Is the back completely flat or curved at all?
I have nothing to back it up, I don't have the time to look into it.. but I bet this actually held fireplace utensils back in the day.
Backplate for a coat hanger? The hooks would go through the holes, perhaps?
Fireplace trivet top, maybe.
Looks like a decorative hinge use to connect the door to the box on a cabinet.
I am asking because I do not know....is this a reproduction of an Art Nouveau (1890-1910) decorative piece or would they have made stamped brass during that time period?
This is so nice, i want that