Featured This is a pretty cool cast iron whatsit. So.....what is it?

I don't have this in my possession because it was bought by the person next to me at an auction. They don't know what it is either but bought it because it was neat and unusual. The same reason I would have bought it but it was laying in a bunch of tools and I usually ignore those. So, I missed it.

Here are some pics. As you can see it's hinged and bends. One end is a woman's head with a hat and lots of hair. The other end is split but it has not been thinned down so it isn't a nail puller. And the hinge wouldn't make it a good nail puller anyway. At least that's my opinion as a tool user.

Anyone have any idea what this is?

 

Tried to crop as much busy background out as I could and lighten it up a bit so people can see the details.

I haven't a clue what it is tho.

 

I believe I have photos of these from France... but who knows where those may be. I think this is a latch used to hold open window shutters.

 

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Thank you!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/323237052089

 

Colloquially known as Shutter Dogs. Some are threaded and others just wedge in between, or get hammered in:

 

Interesting.Thanks

 

I was wondering how it was used. Thanks!