The November What Is It is an ancient baby-feeding device. Roman terra-cotta bottles, such as the rare Third Century A.D. nurser pictured above have been uncovered, with dried milk inside, at infant burial sites. It may have been the very thing that caused the baby’s death. The mortality rate for bottle-fed children was worse than breast-fed babies.  The reason was […]

 According to Marjorie McLaren of Anchorage, Alaska, October’s What Is It appears to be a Victorian Sewing Bird “Third Hand” with a pincushion.  The metal appears to be embossed brass (and might be a replica as it appears quite shiny).  The bird clamps to a table with the beak facing the sewist.  By pushing down on the tail, the bird’s […]

 September’s What Is It was sent to us by Cheryl Miller of Fort Collins. Here is the note she sent with these pictures:  “I purchased the item above from the Brass Armadillo a decade or two ago just because I liked the looks of it. I have no clue what it is. It appears to be made of ivory and […]

 August’s What Is It is a one-of-a-kind corkscrew candlestick. It is 10” high with 3 fluted legs, attached with a fastener to a 4” round base, It holds a 1 diameter candle.  We had several correct guesses. Jerome McLaren of Conifer, Colorado tells us these were called Bible candleholders which sat on a table. As the candle burned down you […]

 “July’s “What Is It” appears to be a vintage wooden-framed block pulley, holding three grooved wheels (sheaves), with metal attachment fittings on top and bottom.  When paired with a similar block pulley, with a single rope threaded through the pulleys of both blocks, it becomes a system generally known as a ‘block and tackle.’ Block and tackle systems have been […]