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| I say! Keep these ones out of the Missus' sight! |
These cheeky items seem like something one would expect to see during the 'Naughty Nineties' (that is, the 1890's...and don't forget, all about the place, particularly in England and America, liberated ladies were on the move in their bloomer suits and hooning around on bicycles like nobody's business...oh my). Aren't they quite hilarious? But these spicy little novelty pieces, probably once found in a locked drawer in the library, often the sanctuary of the gent/s of the home following dinner, do actually serve a practical purpose too.
It's quite clear that the shapely striped pins to the left form part of a saucy little gentleman's corkscrew. This piece is German-produced, probably 1890's or so, and the legs are made of celluloid. These can, of course, be purchased new today from novelty/bar gift stores almost anywhere, though they're often rather shoddily made.
What about the two lovely feminine pins to our right? These objects were quite useful to the Victorian gent who revelled in a good puff of an evening, in his smart smoking attire and most agreeable chair. These are carved bone pipe tampers, probably a bit earlier than the highly conspicuous striped pins. A 19th century gent would use these tools to push and pack the tobacco down into the bowl, as it often tended to expand and move around while one was smoking, creating pockets of air which can result in the pipe going out.
The corkscrew image is courtesy of corkscrewsonline. Top right courtesy of kahnfineantiques.
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