Featured Unidentified Furniture Object. (UFO)

spoons placed in the two open slats in the front..

 

That info is coming from Thomaston auctions in Thomaston Maine, good outfit, got my W&M period gateleg there once.

Yep, probably so or, a piece missing that covered slots with holes drilled in it

 

I’ve had horses and goats, that rack wouldn’t last a year if they were eating out of it.

 

I'm very dubious about the attribution. As I said, if it were European, I'd expect to have seen one or two in my time.

 

They don't eat out of them, anund.

 

True and, who would carve decorations for barn animals?

 

Lets get REAL here, they didn't have FooFoo people back then, not even in Europe, except for maybe the Royals.

 

I have no idea what it is but it looks nice.

 

As I don't know what it is and I do think it's rather wonderful, I don't see how it would work for dishes. I'd love to see one in use. Painting, museum?

As I mentioned, horses eat from racks (these days) and I can't see it for that unless it was more or less for drying/storing. My goat (once upon a time) would have done OK with it as long as it was hanging high enough and contained alfalfa.

Anyone have another source of info on similar?

 

I cannot find anything else that looks like that, that is for hay or dishes, personally.

But I would like to see it "opened" so I could properly visualize the movement and its purpose...maybe it would make it easier to understand it, regardless.

 

Never seen anything like it. The carving on 3rd photo is interesting, those Xs with a line carved at different points thru those Xs.
I would guess OP piece is earlier than the one that sold at auction and, more valuable.
Maybe Scandinavian or Nordic countries?

Agrees and, i think it's early as well.

 

Found another but without any pertinent info.
So there’s one out of Maine, one out of New Hampshire and another New York.
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/73680050_primitive-lot

Actually the same auction house had three.
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/72621814_hook-rack

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/72621813_wall-rack

 

I don't know if I buy that it's a kitchen dish rack, but I really don't think it's a hay rack. Too small for just hay storage, and doesn't show the kind of wear and damage animals would quickly inflict on it. I think it is some kind of workshop rack, but have been unable to find anything online to confirm that. Or, wildly speculating here, a firewood bin for an old large kitchen fireplace. The "clamp" part may have hung fire tending instruments.

Is there any evidence of where it attached to a wall or something? Don't assume the paddle looking things are necessarily at the top. Do any of the things that could be feet show wear? Where is the most wear? The wear pattern may give a good clue of what it was used for.

 

I've seen exceeingly ornate carved stable goods here: I think it's been forgotten that country houses were as decorative for horses, say as for people. Especially as we're not talking farm horses, either, but prized and very valuable riding mounts. Not barns, but individually stalled stables.

Heavens, go look at Strawberry Hill or Hampton Court as high end examples. But even your average upper middle country squire did decorative: it was about status, but also pride in work. Even before the Industrial Revolution, which made many people howlingly wealthy, the middle and upper middle classes here and in much of Europe did serious decor. Let alone les aristos.

 

Thank you sooooo much! I’ve been looking for quite awhile! I even went to farm museums in a few states. Nothing....
Quick question, I’d love to know how much it sold for. Is it worthwhile joining liveauctioneers so I can find out the price?

 

I don’t want to tell you what I bought it for; I feel guilty, kinda!

 

I wondered that too. Got excited when I saw the estimate, tho

 

Yes, it is i think.

$1300. on 24 bids

 

The only wear I could find is on the crossbar below the medallions (paddle). There is some roughness that indicate to me that it may have hung on wooden pegs. The rack is laying on its front and you are looking under the crossbar. I’m pointing to the area on the left and there is also wear on the right.

 

Agree, sign up at liveauctioneers, it’s free and no spam.