The number of talented and perceptive people found on the internet is staggering. Take the sprawling ‘What Is This Thing?’ online community, for example. It is filled to the brim with experts and sleuths who help people identify mysterious objects.
Today, we’re featuring puzzling and bizarre antiques that confused people to no end, only for brilliant online detectives to help them out with their niche knowledge. Keep scrolling for a crash course in weird object functionality, and to learn something new so you can show off the next time you’re at an antique store.
#1 Found This Small Kettle Years Ago. Tried Searching For A Similar One, But Have Always Come Up With Nothing. Anybody Have An Idea Why This Has This Unique Shape?
Brokella:
Isn’t that a portable men’s urinal for bedbound patients?
Image credits: home_cheese
#2 What Is This? Was Labeled As A Xylophone? Bought For $9 At An Antique Store
Mudslingshot:
Nine dollars for a tongue drum the size of an end table?! I'm an instrument collector, and I've gotten some goooood deals... But wow. I've never gotten a deal that good.
Image credits: Broghtworst
#3 I Inherited This From My Grandpa. It Probably Belonged To My Great Grandpa. It Came With A Vintage How To Sketch Book
cynikalAhole99:
Precision vintage drafting tools.
Image credits: muffintestine
Good instincts, environmental awareness, solid judgment, lots of curiosity, and plenty of life experience can give you a solid foundation for internet sleuthing. But if you want to be an actual detective or investigator, you need a wide skillset to complement your wise gut.
According to National Private Investigators, PIs need to have strong analytical, research, problem-solving, internet, and communication skills.
#4 Spoon Type Thing With A Metal Plate And Hole?
My husband and I went thrift shopping and found this weird sterling silver spoon but we have no idea what it’s used for? Looked up the brand “reed and Barton” and found that it’s an old sterling silver company but couldn’t find a spoon like this anywhere. Anyone know what it is or what it’s used for?
TeeBeeDub:
That! Is a soup spoon for mustachioed gentlemen.
Image credits: Stingray_621
#5 The End Appears To Be Rabbit Hair And The Handle Is Like A Marbled Bakelite Or Maybe Plastic?
Nanerpus_is_my_Homie:
It’s a powder puff wand for face powder. This is a very nice example! Also called a “patter wand”. The idea was popping/beating the powder on your face has a more finished look than using your hand.
Image credits: reddit.com
#6 Found At Antique Festival Near Atlanta, Is 17" By 5.5"
nitro479:
It's for rolling newspapers into a "log" for the fireplace.
Image credits: gordone1
With so much investigative work taking place digitally, you need to be great at using the internet to get the information you need. That means looking through public records, social media networks, specialized databases, financial records, etc. On top of that, good tech skills are a must, as you’ll have to gather and analyze evidence and use software.
Private investigators should also have integrity and know how to be discreet. A large chunk of their work deals with sensitive matters, so you have to be ethical and objective. Your reputation (and by extension your livelihood) depends on it.
#7 Found This Hidden In The Ceiling Of My Basement With A Bunch Of Others. Made Out Of Glass, Appears To Have Some Sort Of Tape Or Paper Border Around It
-_-BaDgEr-_- :
Nice find! Magic Lantern glass slide.
Image credits: jjwood84
#8 Found In My Grandfathers Garage, They Appear To Be Hand Stamped
Purrsy_Nappington
These are the work of Kawase Hasui.
The one on the left is titled, "Kasuga Shrine in Nara." 1933
The one on the right is, "Snow at Hie Shrine (New Years Day)." 1931.
Image credits: passw
#9 Old Leather Boot With Long Metal Spikes. Leather Is Old And Stiff, Sole Is Wood, Metal With Nails Or Rivets Around The Sole, 4” Spikes. Seems Like It Might Be A Mountaineering Boot
DoctorOfMeat:
They're for crushing chestnuts.
Image credits: daUmpire
The “What Is This Thing?” online group is a legendary subreddit. It was created all the way back in 2010, and over the past 15 years, amateur and professional internet sleuths have been helping identify people’s mystery items nonstop. Currently, a jaw-dropping 1.5 million internet users visit the online group every single week, with 6.4k weekly contributions.
We’d like to hear from you now, Pandas. Which of these peculiar antiques piqued your curiosity? Were there any strange objects that you could actually identify? What is the weirdest item that you’ve ever stumbled across in your life? Let us know what you think.
#10 Found In A Demolition Along With Old Money. They Appear To Made From Some Sort Of Fabric
sonjaalb:
These are German emergency bills that were issued in times when there wasn't enough money available at the central bank. I believe the ones you have may be made of silk or linen.
Image credits: nzjester420
#11 Expandable Metal Circle With Chain And Lid. This Top Comes Off But Is Attached With A Hinge. When The Top Is Off It Can Expand
It says it's from Germany. It belonged to an antique shop owner who didn't know what it was.
SilverScimitar13:
It's the top of an expandable purse, yours is just missing the actual fabric purse part.
Image credits: Blahaj_shark_boy
#12 Found This Cast Iron Coffin In A Closed Funeral Home. I Have Ideas On What It Is, But Want To Be Absolutely Sure
FreedomDragon01:
I would guess it’s a version of the Fiske coffin. These coffins were designed after the advent of major railway transportation and offered airtight coffins. This helped to naturally preserve the body. When people began traveling far from families and then subsequently dying, people needed a way to transport bodies long distances to get them back for the funeral and last goodbyes from living relatives.
The window was put in place for health reasons. Should a person have died while in quarantine or from a deadly disease, the window allowed relatives to see and confirm the body's identity before burial.
Image credits: Chainsaw_PGH
#13 My Inner Child Needs To Know. Green & White Pendant Of Some Sort Found In My Stocking 18 Years Ago
What is this thing? My inner child needs to know.
Long story short, I found this in my Christmas stocking when I was 7-8 years old. No one knew where it came from. There would be periods of time throughout my childhood where it would disappear, then reappear months or even years later. It was always a fun childhood mystery to me. I have not seen it since 2013 until today. Part of me wants to keep the magic alive and believe it’s some magical stone with disappearing abilities, but I’ve wanted to know what this thing is for almost 20 years now. It looks like some kind of jewelry pendant, but I’m not sure how it would work. The hole in the third picture doesn’t go all the way through.
phord:
It's a jadeite pendant with a space to hold herbs or sandalwood. The word on the back is "fu", which means "luck". The dragon heads are just common Chinese symbolism, but sometimes there is a bat instead because the word for "bat" sounds like 'luck". If it has bamboo symbolism, it's supposed to be stronger. It's usually strung and attached to your belt and carried for luck.
My Chinese wife, who also claims this is not a well made piece, poor quality sculpting, common in antique markets.
She also warns that Chinese people do not carry old pieces with an unknown history, because they might have belonged to someone who died, and then it was stolen by grave robbers. And then the amulet could bring bad luck.
But if the piece is handed down from their family, someone they know and cared about, it becomes more special to them. They believe it carries a bit of the bearer in it, like part of their soul, from their having carried it for so long.
Wife says it comes back to you because it has become part of you. You should keep it, no matter how much you are offered. Also, you should touch it a lot so it accumulates oil from your skin (your soul). This will make it more beautiful.
Image credits: dekudinner
#14 I Found This Ring In My Backyard While Doing Gardening. After Cleaning It, It Doesn't Look Like A Normal Ring. Any Ideas?
batbrat:
It's a Georgian/early Victorian mourning ring. The initials belong to the lost loved one.
They were typically made from gold (18k+) and enameled in black. Yours looks like it was made around the 1820s-40s.
Image credits: gamer0981
#15 Found In The Basement Of German House That Was Built Shortly Before World War II
ImclearlyBatman:
Mortar and pestle. A very old one, too.
Image credits: DaveDave_Org
#16 Found In The Yard Of My Old House. Agra, India
My father sent a few samples to the Archaeological Survey of India in Agra, as suggested by many, so thank you. Those of you who said they are Terracotta figures, you were correct. They are Portuguese Terracotta figures from the 3rd to 4th century. Though there haven’t been many accounts of such well-preserved Terracottas, they’re not uncommon for the area of Agra, as the Taj Mahal features many Terracotta designs and mouldings. I can’t believe I thought these figurines were nothing of value, and considered throwing them away. Thank you all again for urging me not to throw these away, notifying me about ASI, and warning me about scammers. For now, my family plans on keeping the figures in a safe place.
Image credits: NotYoshii
#17 Open Spoon With Spikes; Trident-Like Fork; Tongs With A Chicken Foot And A Perforated Spoon. All Antique Silver
AnnabananaIL:
Olive server, lettuce server, ice tongs. Having a talon on ice tongs is a novelty feature, but there are a lot of them out there!
Image credits: hamster-cow
#18 Mom Found This In A Box In The Attic
Phurba, a three-sided peg, stake, knife, or nail-like ritual implement deeply rooted in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and Bön traditions.
Image credits: edjogo2
#19 Made Of Wood. Too Shallow To Store Pens. Hangs On Wall
DaddioHeff:
It is for a large box of matches.
Image credits: biglilbunz
#20 Found In My Grandparents Basement. What Is This?
TheShyPig:
Solitaire Game. It's pretty expensive.
Image credits: reddit.com
#21 A Departed Someone Loved To Garage Sale Shop. Trying To Identify This Old Antique. I Think It May Be Used To Hang Or Display Clothing But I’m Really Not Sure
It has a hook on the top as well as the bottom, and a couple of long wooden angled platforms in the middle.
iwegian:
It's a valet stand. It holds a man's suit and other accessories.
Image credits: DocCaddis
#22 Found In An Antique Store
eltonnovs:
It's a wild boar tooth.
Image credits: wilecoyote7
#23 Miniature Antique Mini Glass Ball Things? The B***s Are Hollow And Delicate With Little Tips/Ends. Each One Is Numbered On The Top
SincerelySpicy:
They're called Hydrostatic Bubbles or Spirit Bubbles, among other things, and they're used as hydrometers for testing the alcohol content of liquors.
Image credits: ComprehensiveSet3478
#24 Found This In Grandpas Box Of Old Things. Might Be From Asia Because Of The 3rd Eye? Any Ideas?
msebeth:
Sorry for the letdown... This was part of a set of premiums for malted milk. Very cool, but not very exotic.
Image credits: AlvinOblivion
#25 What Is This Large Vessel I Found In The Basement Of An Old Psychiatric Hospital?
Looks like a great big autoclave used to sterilize mattresses and bedding.
Image credits: BonelessHotdogs
#26 Landlord Found It In The Basement. Heavy Metal. Google Isn't Responding Well To "Scary Wand"
drowninginidiots:
Soldering iron. The end you are holding is the head, and is usually copper. The other end would normally have a wood handle.
Image credits: CornStarchEnema
#27 Antique From The 1800’s, Have To Figure Out What It Is For A School Project
reflected_shadow:
Antique Soap Saver. Small scraps of soap were put in the cage, and when people did dishes by hand, the soap saver was swished though the dishwater to made suds.
Image credits: Earffff
#28 Found In A House Along With Lots Of Old Maritime Artifacts
Pillowussey:
Knot gauge/ speed log. Basically, a boat speedometer. The propeller looking object is in the water, spinning as the boat moves, the rope spins and moves the dial, letting you know the speed as indicated on the dial.
Image credits: downspower
#29 Just Moved To A New Apartment, Found This In The Living Room. What Is This?
dakta:
It is an antique Turkish brazier, used for heating. Also called a mangal.
Image credits: vasjuk
#30 Old Document, Possibly An Indentured Servitude Contract, Found In Box Of Family Photos, C. 1750?
Was sorting through a box of old photos from my dad's side of the family and came across this really ancient-looking folded up piece of paper or parchment with fancy inkwell script and a wax seal... At first, I thought the date read "1950", but then I realized the 9 is actually probably a 7, which would make this over 250 years old. The large letters appear to read This indenture so a friend suggested this was an indentured servitude contract.
What's weird is that it's in English, but to my knowledge my dad's family had no ties to any English-speaking countries until his parents immigrated to the United States in the 1920s (they were from the Metz area originally and, according to genealogical records, were still living in Germany in the 1700s) so I can't imagine it was from someone on my dad's side if it really does go back that far. What is this thing??
Linguist208:
It's actually a land sale contract. Indenture just meant contract.
Notice the bit in large bold letters, the third one from the bottom, in the center over the red wax seal, that says "To have and to hold," and three lines above that it says "was formerly the Estate and Inheritance of John Sparks and his wife Mary," and talks about the Parish of Sheffield.
Image credits: BadlyDrawnGrrl
#31 What Is This Thing? Circular Thing On A Post In An Antique Place
jjdiablo:
This is an Engine Order Telegraph used in older marine vessels. Allowed the Captain remote communication with the ship's engine room.
Image credits: LPineapplePizzaLover
#32 Found In An Old Junk Drawer
Matsojr222:
Traveling ink well 100%.
Image credits: itsyoboiskinnyperson
#33 Cleaning Out A House And Came Across This. The Little Cup At The Top Swings Back And Forth. Says It’s From Japan
Real_Consequence1240:
It’s a bridal cup. Bridal cups are a Nuerenberg, Germany tradition that date back to the 1400's. It represents the start of a life long union between man and woman and is a symbol of faithfulness and good luck.
The small swiveling cup and inverted hollow dress were designed to allow both bride and groom to drink simultaneously to toast their wedding. The groom would drink from the larger cup (the inverted skirt), and bride would drink from the small swivel cup.
Image credits: BarberBettie
#34 My Father Found And Bought This At A Garage Sale Last Week. It's Cool To The Touch, And The Little Doors Make A Clinking Sound, So I'm Guessing It's Carved Stone
Heavy, so probably solid. My best guess is it's a religious relic, since I don't see another use for it.
Reddit user:
It looks like it features images from the Nativity of Christ--the overall shape being the stable where he was born. Based on the artistic style, possibly Coptic (Ethiopian Christians)? Their iconography looks extremely similar.
Image credits: MandaleroSventedo
#35 Wood Artefact With Fabric Stripes. It Seems An Old Piece Of Furniture. Picture Taken At A Market In Piedmont, Italy
nitro479:
Victorian fireplace screen like this.
Image credits: Mapsreddit
#36 Teeny Tiny Flask-May Be 100 Years Old And Smells Like Cloves Inside
Small flask-nickel photographed alongside for comparison. Smells like clove inside. My 90-year-old grandma thinks it may have belonged to her grandmother, or she may have found it at a thrift store.
notimefortalking:
It is for toothaches, not perfumes. The clove and design give it away. The perfume necklaces are usually very delicate; they are usually made of silver, and those are the ones that survived to be antiques today.
Image credits: PutGroundbreaking873
#37 Ceramic Dachshund With Small Dish On One Side And Larger Rectangle Dish With Holes In The Bottom On The Other Side. No Markings. Found At The Relative's House
We cannot figure this out. Lots of crazy ideas, but none of them actually make sense.
amnitol:
It’s a ceramic dresser valet from approximately the 1950s! The square side is to hold a wallet, and the round one to hold misc small items from your pocket.
Image credits: KarmazaBee
#38 A Knife I Received From A Friend. His Grandparents Had Owned It. Seems Pretty Old And Rustic! Any Ideas?
StrugglesTheClown:
I think it's specific to the early 20th century. Moroccan Koummya dagger. They look very similar, look kind of the same materials and the shape, and the bevels on the blade look identical.
Image credits: themightymeatflute
#39 I Found This Under The Floorboards In A 1800s-Era House
Dances_for_Donairs:
Removed the top of soft-boiled eggs, I think.
Image credits: KleverKlem
#40 Probably Around 5kg, Found In An Antique Shop In Australia. About 20-30cm Deep With A Binocular-Like Leather Case, Not Sure If Removable
thenewtestament:
It’s a Geiger counter.
Image credits: T_Jamess
#41 Found An Antique Metal Object At My Local Charity Shop. It Is In The Shape Of A Droplet And Has Button Or Pressing Mechanism And A Tiny Hole In The Top
The front has a button that can be pressed in. It also come with a matching box. There doesn’t seem to be a clicking mechanism.
Sparky81:
1930s Art Deco Marcel Franck Atomizer Perfume Bottle.
Image credits: Afraid-Employee118
#42 Picked This Up At A Local Antique Shop. The Left Side Is Copper Lined, The Right Side Is Not, And The Center Divider Is Concave
JasnahKolin:
It looks something like an old "smokers table". The copper could be an ashtray and the curved area could be for bottles as well. Combined booze and tobacco table?
Image credits: Ch00chy
#43 Old Mechanical Device Found In A Dumpster. Extreme Heavy. Cash Register? Mechanical Calculator?
lordsteve1:
It is indeed a mechanical calculator, an Odhner 1950/60’s model.
Image credits: ldorigo
#44 Knife Found At The Bottom Of My Grandfather's Belongings. Supposedly, It Was Given To Him By My Great Aunt, Who Was A Diplomat Pretty Much All Over Asia During The Vietnam War
In addition to the larger knife, there are two smaller knives as well that can be drawn from the same scabbard.
SaoJi:
Big one is definitely a khukuri, I'm from Nepal. As for the two smaller ones, The “Karda” (one edge sharpened) is a small utility knife used to perform small tasks that the big kukri blade cannot. The “Chakmak” (Both edges dull/unsharpened) is the sharpener used to sharpen both the main blade, which is the Kukri.
Image credits: Tensevictory
#45 What Is This Antique Fork Looking T**l, And What Is It Used For?
jackrats:
It's an ice breaker.
Image credits: Woodsmanswhiskey
#46 Bought This From An Antique's D****r A Couple Years Ago. All I Know Is That It's From India They Said
BusterBloodvesselBR:
It looks like a dowry chest (massive antique Indian carved wood dowry chest).
Image credits: ex_natura
#47 Wall Mounted Wooden Antique Cylinder With Belt Mechanism That Rotates The Cylinder - Labels Says "Charles Parker Manufacturing"
The shield with wheels on top of the cylinder will prevent a piece of paper from being displayed. Unless you are suggesting when you find your map, you reverse roll slightly in order to make the paper bow out giving you access to then pull on it by hand to then expose it entirely for display.
KryptosBC:
I believe it is a map roller for multiple maps. Each map would have been attached in one of the visible slots. The map would be selected by pulling down on the rope close to the wall, then reversed to display the chosen map. My memory of it is vague, but I once saw something like this in an old bank office that was being dismantled in about 1960. I do not recall seeing it operated. There is likely some sort of spring loaded ratchet mechanism involved, hence the noisy operation.
Image credits: Phocea
#48 Found In A Garden. Metallic Object That Closes In On Itself
Treefrogprince:
Looks like a Hindu ritual box. It is missing the middle piece that would sit in that central hole.
Image credits: ScZi
#49 Cylindrical Unfolding Artefact. It’s Quite Heavy With Metal Hinges. Recovered From Grandparents' Home
jackrats:
It' a travel triptych.
Image credits: twm15
#50 Found In An Unfinished Basement Of An Old Home. Looks Like A Coin But It's Hollow And Opens Up
dont_say_choozday:
Possibly it was a coin lighter, but now it's missing some parts.
Image credits: NeverBenFamous
