How can I use this??

Jan
by Jan

This is in the bathroom of an old house I purchased. It’s above the sink and the base is about 2” across. The “jaws” open up to about 1” Can anyone identify it?

Thanks,

Jan

  16 answers
  • When was your house built? Could it have had a ring in it at one point to hold a hand towel?

  • Craft Invaders Craft Invaders on Mar 26, 2020

    Maybe they had a hose with a shower attachment coming from a basin at one point?


  • Jan Jan on Mar 26, 2020

    Thanks Courtney. The house was built in 1886, but I have no idea when this was installed. It just seems to be an unnecessarily complicated device to hold a towel. Lol.

  • Holly Lengner - Lost Mom Holly Lengner - Lost Mom on Mar 26, 2020

    I'm not sure what it was, but if you want to keep it, you can spray paint the silver and gold the same color and then stick a wooden dowel through the center. You'll want the dowel to fit nice and tight in the center and then you can hang towels on each side.

  • Judy in Canton. Judy in Canton. on Mar 26, 2020

    It looks like this was added later. The first thing I thought of was that it can hold a curling iron or hair blower.

  • Jan Jan on Mar 26, 2020

    Those are all great ideas. I’ll have to put my diy hat on! Thanks everyone

  • Vimarhonor Vimarhonor on Mar 26, 2020

    This is quite interesting. Only a guess I wonder if it held a piece of plate safety glass in would be some sort of shelf it looks like that C clamp area could hold something.

  • FrugalFamilyTimes.com FrugalFamilyTimes.com on Mar 26, 2020

    I wonder if this was a fitting for a built-in soap dish? Perhaps a ceramic thing covered this fitting?

  • Annie Annie on Mar 26, 2020

    How mysterious and you're sure getting some awesome responses. It looks quite new as in it is still shiny. Can you ask the previous owners of the house?


  • William William on Mar 26, 2020

    Could be a bracket that holds a rod or pipe for hanging a towel.

  • Annie Annie on Mar 26, 2020

    Oh and please let us know if you do find out! It's a head scratcher

  • Cheryl A Cheryl A on Mar 26, 2020

    I think it was a towel ring to hold a towel - you could always ask someone at a hardware store like Home Depot they may know. It doesn't appear to be that old so must have been added over the years- it appears something is missing on it I would think the claw would be behind another piece

  • Cheryl A Cheryl A on Mar 26, 2020

    I did some research and this was for a mirror the type that magnifies so you can put in contacts put on make up etc.

  • Debi53 Debi53 on Mar 27, 2020

    I know you want to know what this is, but you do know that you can remove it, patch and paint the area, and not have to have it in your bathroom. We have renovated a lot of houses and sometimes people just do weird things that make no sense. This could be something someone tried that didn't work and they just left it.

  • Achla Bahl Madan Achla Bahl Madan on Mar 28, 2020

    I think it was a clamp to hold a hose, as in the past many people washed their hair in the sink

  • Agnes Chrzanowska Agnes Chrzanowska on Mar 29, 2020

    super cute hook to use for anything like hair dryer towels or rope