Monday Mystery Artifact

Posted on Mon, Aug 3, 2009 : 6:42 a.m.

Monday Mystery Artifact

By Laura Bien

An ongoing series that examines local historical artifacts.

Dear fellow knitters: You know how it is. You're working on that incredibly complicated cable stitch, muttering to yourself, "purl 3, cable 3 back, purl 1, cable 3 front, purl 3..." Then your cell phone rings. You put the work down to answer it, finish the call, and pick up the - whoops! Oh no! It slid right off the needles! Aiee!

Oh, if only you'd had some acorn-shaped knitting needle guards!

This week's winner is erksnerks, who correctly guessed the function of last Monday's baffling artifact: "'needle guardians' to keep knitted stitches in place." The needle guardians may be found in the Ypsilanti Historical Museum's second-floor sewing room.

Wandering downstairs from the sunny sewing room, we spot this week's new Mystery Artifact in a different room in the museum. It is a sturdy hinged metal box of sorts about 4 and 1/2 inches long. But what on earth was it used for? Take your best guess! (Click on image for larger view).

The answer, and a new Mystery Artifact, will be posted next Monday.

WINNER'S LIST:
8/3/09: erksnerks

Mystery Artifact is published every Monday on AnnArbor.com.

Comments

Laura Bien

Fri, Aug 7, 2009 : 9:29 p.m.

Hmm, see some good guesses here. Matthew guessed something associated with fire and Larissa guessed something associated with ice. In fact there *is* a match storage box in the kitchen room of the Museum...but it's not this object. One more microhint: the slit you see in the bottom of the box is a blade.

Larissa

Wed, Aug 5, 2009 : 9:34 p.m.

I think if the handle is sturdy when opened, it could be an ice shaver. If the handle fits inside the box a little, it could be an orange or lemon squeezer.

Matthew K

Wed, Aug 5, 2009 : 7:01 p.m.

My first guess was a Matchbox, so that's what I'll go with (first guess -> best guess, often). Presumably for lighting a stove or oven? I want one. Even if that's not what it is. Metal boxes are cool.

Laura Bien

Wed, Aug 5, 2009 : 7:19 a.m.

Microhint: this item may be found in the Museum's "kitchen," on top of the wooden icebox (for good reason).