Open Forum

Hello All,

We are looking for some help identifying objects recently offered to our museum (see attached imaged).

They were purchased by the donor at a garage sale nearby (northern Indiana) with no addition information. The are reminiscent of torc-style jewelry but seem too heavy and plain to be adornment. However, the fact that they appear to be brass or bronze seems like an odd choice if they are meant to be utilitarian. One idea we had was that they may be souvenirs from a blacksmith vendor at a living history event that takes place near where these were purchased but that's just a blind guess.

Does anyone recognize these or have any suggestions on who we could ask?

Thank you!

Michelle Nash
Curator of Collections
Elkhart County Historical Museum

"Museum collection storage is both a physical space and an ongoing process."- NPS

Hello All,

We are looking for some help identifying objects recently offered to our museum (see attached imaged).

They were purchased by the donor at a garage sale nearby (northern Indiana) with no addition information. The are reminiscent of torc-style jewelry but seem too heavy and plain to be adornment. However, the fact that they appear to be brass or bronze seems like an odd choice if they are meant to be utilitarian. One idea we had was that they may be souvenirs from a blacksmith vendor at a living history event that takes place near where these were purchased but that's just a blind guess.

Does anyone recognize these or have any suggestions on who we could ask?

Thank you!

Michelle Nash
Curator of Collections
Elkhart County Historical Museum

"Museum collection storage is both a physical space and an ongoing process."- NPS

Hello All,

We are looking for some help identifying objects recently offered to our museum (see attached imaged).

They were purchased by the donor at a garage sale nearby (northern Indiana) with no addition information. The are reminiscent of torc-style jewelry but seem too heavy and plain to be adornment. However, the fact that they appear to be brass or bronze seems like an odd choice if they are meant to be utilitarian. One idea we had was that they may be souvenirs from a blacksmith vendor at a living history event that takes place near where these were purchased but that's just a blind guess.

Does anyone recognize these or have any suggestions on who we could ask?

Thank you!

Michelle Nash
Curator of Collections
Elkhart County Historical Museum

"Museum collection storage is both a physical space and an ongoing process."- NPS

Hello All,

We are looking for some help identifying objects recently offered to our museum (see attached imaged).

They were purchased by the donor at a garage sale nearby (northern Indiana) with no addition information. The are reminiscent of torc-style jewelry but seem too heavy and plain to be adornment. However, the fact that they appear to be brass or bronze seems like an odd choice if they are meant to be utilitarian. One idea we had was that they may be souvenirs from a blacksmith vendor at a living history event that takes place near where these were purchased but that's just a blind guess.

Does anyone recognize these or have any suggestions on who we could ask?

Thank you!

Michelle Nash
Curator of Collections
Elkhart County Historical Museum

"Museum collection storage is both a physical space and an ongoing process."- NPS

Thank you, Chris! We also wonder if it might not just be a very specific thing a local farmer made for some purpose we can only guess. ^_^

Michelle

Hello All,

We are looking for some help identifying objects recently offered to our museum (see attached imaged).

They were purchased by the donor at a garage sale nearby (northern Indiana) with no addition information. The are reminiscent of torc-style jewelry but seem too heavy and plain to be adornment. However, the fact that they appear to be brass or bronze seems like an odd choice if they are meant to be utilitarian. One idea we had was that they may be souvenirs from a blacksmith vendor at a living history event that takes place near where these were purchased but that's just a blind guess.

Does anyone recognize these or have any suggestions on who we could ask?

Thank you!

Michelle Nash
Curator of Collections
Elkhart County Historical Museum

"Museum collection storage is both a physical space and an ongoing process."- NPS

Thank you, Chris! We also wonder if it might not just be a very specific thing a local farmer made for some purpose we can only guess. ^_^

Michelle

Hello All,

We are looking for some help identifying objects recently offered to our museum (see attached imaged).

They were purchased by the donor at a garage sale nearby (northern Indiana) with no addition information. The are reminiscent of torc-style jewelry but seem too heavy and plain to be adornment. However, the fact that they appear to be brass or bronze seems like an odd choice if they are meant to be utilitarian. One idea we had was that they may be souvenirs from a blacksmith vendor at a living history event that takes place near where these were purchased but that's just a blind guess.

Does anyone recognize these or have any suggestions on who we could ask?

Thank you!

Michelle Nash
Curator of Collections
Elkhart County Historical Museum

"Museum collection storage is both a physical space and an ongoing process."- NPS

Thanks for weighing in, Joan! They certainly look like it but they would need some sort of clamp to hold them in place if they are not going through the septum (which it doesn't look like these would). Does anyone know how these might have been secured if they are nose rings?

Michelle

Thank you, Chris! We also wonder if it might not just be a very specific thing a local farmer made for some purpose we can only guess. ^_^

Michelle

Hello All,

We are looking for some help identifying objects recently offered to our museum (see attached imaged).

They were purchased by the donor at a garage sale nearby (northern Indiana) with no addition information. The are reminiscent of torc-style jewelry but seem too heavy and plain to be adornment. However, the fact that they appear to be brass or bronze seems like an odd choice if they are meant to be utilitarian. One idea we had was that they may be souvenirs from a blacksmith vendor at a living history event that takes place near where these were purchased but that's just a blind guess.

Does anyone recognize these or have any suggestions on who we could ask?

Thank you!

Michelle Nash
Curator of Collections
Elkhart County Historical Museum

"Museum collection storage is both a physical space and an ongoing process."- NPS

Thanks for weighing in, Joan! They certainly look like it but they would need some sort of clamp to hold them in place if they are not going through the septum (which it doesn't look like these would). Does anyone know how these might have been secured if they are nose rings?

Michelle

Thank you, Chris! We also wonder if it might not just be a very specific thing a local farmer made for some purpose we can only guess. ^_^

Michelle

Hello All,

We are looking for some help identifying objects recently offered to our museum (see attached imaged).

They were purchased by the donor at a garage sale nearby (northern Indiana) with no addition information. The are reminiscent of torc-style jewelry but seem too heavy and plain to be adornment. However, the fact that they appear to be brass or bronze seems like an odd choice if they are meant to be utilitarian. One idea we had was that they may be souvenirs from a blacksmith vendor at a living history event that takes place near where these were purchased but that's just a blind guess.

Does anyone recognize these or have any suggestions on who we could ask?

Thank you!

Michelle Nash
Curator of Collections
Elkhart County Historical Museum

"Museum collection storage is both a physical space and an ongoing process."- NPS