What is this weird object?

[BuildingATimeMachine]

Sister found this. What is it? It's metal

If you are on twitter you could tweet your local museum or message via different channels. I am curious, ask and update 😁

Looks like a very old garden fork, where did she find it?

Apparently it was my Grandads. Found amongst his things. He was born in 1900. Was a gardener and electrician.

Needs a scale... Is it a few centimetres long, a few metres long? I'm guessing more like cm judging from the fabric it is on?

I

Maybe your grandad made it as a gardening tool of sorts?

Looks like something you wrap your hand around at the top and do twisting motions to loosen the soil to get weeds out. How interesting.

This sounds plausible if the size fits with what I have in mind. Perhaps more like a bulb planter though? Pointed tip to enter the soil, and then the widening gaps between the tines allows the tool to rotate to make the hole bigger as it digs in.

It's possibly brass About 6 inches.

It's worth a million isn't it? 😅

It's no gardening tool if it's brass I would think - way too soft. And the size is a little small as well. Unless it's a kind of indoor gardening type tool which are often small.

I'd love to see more of how it's jointed as well. Looks incredibly fine work but wouldn't have much strength. I think I can see evidence of little brazes around some of them, but can't work out if cross pieces pass through the verticals or are shorter lengths simply bonded to them. Either way is really delicate work.

@WrigglyDonCat yes I think your suggestion fits. I'm so intrigued.

@BuildingATimeMachine we found something similar never knew what it was but the man at household waste joked about it being worth millions. Really it was probably a rusty hook from an old builders yard our house was built on. My son came up with all sorts of fantastical ideas was quite amusing to listen to.

If you find out let us know, it looks interesting. Maybe something along the lines of The Wicker Man. A secret cult ritual object. 🤔

I don't know what it is, but the replies are interesting. It's probably not brass, it'd be a lot greener, but it certainly looks like a copper alloy, so I'd guess bronze, or bronze plated.

Exciting!

Yes, I'm agog!

It looks as if it's got a surface texture like bark, and the joints look rustic too. You said it was made of brass.
I reckon it's part of some Victorian brass ornament like a dinner gong that has broken off.

It looks like it could have been ceremonial.

Was grandad a freemason or part of a club or other organisation?

It's to toast bread on the fire

No actual idea sorry

The three "prongs" at one end look broken off, so I'm guessing it's something like part of a broken door or box latch.
Have you tried a Google image search, that might give you some clues?

Is it a “dibber” used to dig into the soil , twist and plant bulbs ?

I'd have said that too, my grandad was a keen gardener and it feels like something he would have used.

Nothing on Google search.

No. Maybe a secret Satanist!!