Another mystery piece....

[fwcrawford]

I found this while searching around an old 1870's homesite yesterday.
I'm thinking it attached to the wall for some purpose judging from the design.
I appears to have a threaded hole in the center and part of a screw is still in it.
I'm also wondering if this could have come from a train passenger car since the landowner was a station manager for the local depot.
We found 7 railroad baggage tags in the yard there and this is why I'm wondering about the origins of it.
Thanks for looking and any help with ID it!!

 

[JCR TX]

Is the curvature deep enough to have held a mechanism? I thinking manual doorbell.

 

[fwcrawford]

Is the curvature deep enough to have held a mechanism? I thinking manual doorbell.

I was thinking that at first too, but do not think that is what it is.
It is less than 3/4” high.
Looks like some type of mounting plate.

 

[airburst93]

They once used a similar looking piece to cover the screw or bolt heads on wooden bed frames.A screw in the hole on top allows the thing to swing over to the side to remove the screw or bolt so the frame could be taken apart if desired.Just a wild guess off the top of my Swiss cheese head.

 

[Wild Willy]

Airburst, I sleep on a wooden four poster with the devices you describe but they are oval with a screw head in the top "tit". Can't figure out the middle screw.

 

[fwcrawford]

Airburst, I sleep on a wooden four poster with the devices you describe but they are oval with a screw head in the top "tit". Can't figure out the middle screw.

Can you post a photo of that… I would like to see what you are talking about.

 

[Draco]

It reminds me of a wall lamp holder, from the Victorian era

 

[fwcrawford]

It reminds me of a wall lamp holder, from the Victorian era

That is what I had in mind too….but I’m thinking not for an electric lamp, but maybe a candle holder or small oil lamp.

 

[airburst93]

Airburst, I sleep on a wooden four poster with the devices you describe but they are oval with a screw head in the top "tit". Can't figure out the middle screw.

Gotcha,it was a guess.

 

[still looking 52]

I like the lamp holder theory, that makes sense to me.

 

[fyrffytr1]

I am going to agree with airburst93 that it is a bed bolt cover. If you do a search for them, there are a lot more round ones than ovals. As for the center "screw", it may have been a decorative piece attached to the cover.

 

[Draco]

That is what I had in mind too….but I’m thinking not for an electric lamp, but maybe a candle holder or small oil lamp.

I agree. I just put it as an example

 

[fwcrawford]

I did do a search for bed bolt covers and had have to agree that what I found does resemble them.
At this point I guess that is what it seems to be… thanks for all the responses and help!!

 

[Old Longhair]

Before reading all the replies, it looked to me like the base for sconce lighting of some sort. And given it's size relative to that quarter, I still think that's what it is.

 

[fwcrawford]

Before reading all the replies, it looked to me like the base for sconce lighting of some sort. And given it's size relative to that quarter, I still think that's what it is.

I was leaning towards that too, but the ones I see have two points for mounting.
The bolt covers for the most part only have one mounting point.

 

[Old Longhair]

I was leaning towards that too, but the ones I see have two points for mounting.
The bolt covers for the most part only have one mounting point.

Given all the RR stuff there, it could have been mounted to allow it to pivot much like items onboard a ship....but I really don't know if they do that onboard trains or not.

 

[fwcrawford]

Given all the RR stuff there, it could have been mounted to allow it to pivot much like items onboard a ship....but I really don't know if they do that onboard trains or not. View attachment 21632

I understand exactly what you mean…