Gold Double Eagle Crested Metal Mystery Item

Odd item that I am hoping someone can identify. Its 8" long and has two metal pieces that screw into the bottom, they are each 4.25" long.

I posted this item on here a few years ago and someone thought the eagle crest might that of Emperor Franz I of Austria? Not sure, in that crest, the eagle is holding different items. Either way, I have had no luck trying to figure out what this item was or what it was used for.

Any help would be great!

 

Thought I recognized it, glad you mentioned it.

https://www.antiquers.com/threads/trying-to-identify-curious-item.18109/#post-248498

 

Don't know what it is but this emblem is said to be from the Reign of Ferdinand I in this auction but don't know if that's correct.

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/82363861_a-rare-chamberlain-s-key-reign-of-ferdinand-i

 

Wow, thats a cool key.

If you look in the right claw of the eagle in the key you found, its holding an object with a cross on top. The item I have his right claw is holding something else completely. Here is a breakdown of what its holding from a German description of the Imperial Coat of Arms of the Empire of Austria, used from 1815 to 1866.

"A black double-headed eagle with golden paws and beaks and scarlet tongues, crowned with two royal crowns, over which a third, imperial crown, with two fluttering ribbon ends. The imperial eagle holds a silver sword with a golden hilt and a golden scepter in his right paw, and a golden power in his left."

 

It actually looks to me like there is something missing on the right side of the key where it's a cross looking thing in his claw however I see the differences. Hopefully someone will know.

 

Thanks for the side by side, that helps! The key looks like the normal setup of items (sword and scepter in one claw, then the cross item in the other claw). My unknown item seems to have a sword in one claw and scepter in the other. Also there are three crowns on the key (two on the eagles, one in the middle above them). Only one crown on the other item.

 

Yours kind of resembles a clock pendulum. If the tubing was switched with the longer ones on top. But wdik.
Mikey

 

Vienna regulator ?

 

Did some more searching over the weekend and here is what I found. It appears to be some sort of badge from the 1830s Austria, called a “Hofwürdezeichen”, its from a member of the imperial Austrian court. These were given to “Truchsesse” or members of the outer court. Still trying to find out more.

 

That's what popped into my head too. Clock people?

 

That would explain the “Hofwürdezeichen”!

 

I am still scratching my Truchsesse trying to figure out what a Hofwürdezeichen is.

 

LOL! You're going to fit right in!

 

where are your Truchsesse hanging ?

the Truchsess was the guy who had to look that the table of the Emperor was served and equipped at the strict rules of the court. who was sitting where, in what sequence was the munch served etc. - normally the first bowl or plate of food was served by the Truchsess to the Emperor.
in English they call it simply steward - that's okay, they never had any food worthwhile being served in style.

a little advice when it comes to the long worms of words in German:
chop them into parts that may have sense. E.g. "Hofwürdezeichen" into Hof (court), Würde (dignity), Zeichen (sign). so you might guess in what direction the sense of the worm is hiding.

 

This is the second in the series of four nearly identical items, the others in order being Fee, Fo, and Fum. Hope that helps!

 

Thats very helpful, so this would be like a signet or badge showing their status in the royal court?

 

Fie!

 

yes. but as usual in the old European court systems it's complicated to say the least. those titles were sometimes honorary titles only, sometimes hereditary; sometimes they were allowed to have a second job, sometimes not. especially in the small kingdoms this position was rather a theoretical one that would only come into action when a real great congress - peace treaty etc. - would happen.

 

Thanks for all of the good information, Fid!

 

The coat of arms on this object reminds me of the coat of Arms of the Dutch city Groningen. Groningen was a Free imperial city