Peat Cutter (?)

Bought this guy today.
Is this indeed a peat cutter?

And this is the maker's mark

MJ?/JM?
Bought in the Netherlands, so probably a Dutch artist (any idea @Any Jewelry); which is even more plausible if it's indeed a peat cutter.

It can't stand on its own. How would this originally have been used? Stuck to a piece of wood? Paperweight?

 

The peat cutters (utensils) I've seen have a wide, flat blade.
The small round thingies look like coal to me. Peat is cut in a brick shape.

No idea.

I don't think it is Dutch. Looks like the man has bare feet and he is wearing knee breeches, not very Dutch. The hat looks southern European, maybe even a country that is very familiar to you.

 

It might be a souvenir from Ireland, made of compressed turf, similar to this one -


https://www.etsy.com/listing/817531677/irish-turf-cutter-small-5-bk14

 

To me it looked a bit like this
https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/19th-c-peat-cutter-or-slane-238-c-7204d4f83d


but the small thingies do indeed look more like coal.

It's my grandfather! He worked in the coal mines.

Forgot to mention the material yesterday. I thought it was brass, but now I've checked it with a magnet, and it's ferromagnetic. (bronzed cast iron?)

 

Yay!!!

The one your little guy has isn't flat, but a sort of scoop.

 

A grain shovel?

 

My first thought when I saw your guy was that he had something to do with brewing. But with those small round thingies, it is more likely to be a shovel for hops than for grain.

 

Can you show the back?

 

I can .... after my my holiday
The enlarged bits show parts of the back. There are no holes or other signs visible of this having been attached to something else.

 

u get holidays ??

Heehehe!!!

 

I don't get them, I take them.

 

Now we are in suspense!

 

And I will keep you in suspense for a while If all goes according to plan, the additional photos will be available early October

 

u take September off for a holiday...... that's pretty cool !!

 

And a large part of August Been here since the 17th of August
But ...
I do work during the holiday (usually in the morning or evening/night)(and only when I want to accept a new assignment ), or else I would have an empty bank account due to the visits to restaurants, gas stations, antiques stores/markets and record stores