Mystery Item

[Jeff]

Gday all

Found this item in the throw outs in a surfaced area. It had been sitting in the dirt for over 100 years and shows no corrosion but as yet a can’t tell you what it’s made from other than some kind of metal.
Any ideas on what its use may have been?

 

[Hippyty79]

A Jews harp

 

[grubstake]

It's a jews harp/jaw harp, but the spring centre bar is missing. They're an old folk music instrument that makes a twanging sound. It's played by holding it in your mouth and flicking the spring. The mouth acts as a resonant cavity and the player can modify the sound by moving their jaw:

 

[Jeff]

It's a jews harp/jaw harp, but the spring centre bar is missing. They're an old folk music instrument that makes a twanging sound. It's played by holding it in your mouth and flicking the spring. The mouth acts as a resonant cavity and the player can modify the sound by moving their jaw:

View attachment 16545

Dam, I was no where near it!
Do you have any idea of how long they’ve been around?
And thanks for that…

 

[Jeff]

Dam, I was no where near it!
Do you have any idea of how long they’ve been around?
And thanks for that…

Jaw harps have been discovered in Shaanxi, China, dating back about 4000 years ago.[4]The earliest depiction of somebody playing what seems to be a Jew's harp is a Chinese drawing from the 3rd century BCE.

That’s from Wiki- so probably a source of old timer’s entertainment.

 

[grubstake]