Thursday, June 22, 2023

Roaring Metal Tiger Head

If you remember my Curse of the Inkwell post a few months back HERE, then maybe you recognize the snarling face in the images below. And while we never really quite figured out what the creature was in that March post (wolf, lion, demon, whatwhatwhat?), we can all be quite sure that this time I've got a very old, turn of the century tiger on my hands! The other big difference between the two is while this is absolutely made of the same heavy duty, cold painted metal as 'ol whats'it, it is certainly no jaw-hinged inkwell. Instead we have a simple wall hanger, complete with an opening in the top of the head to hold matches, or possibly even a candle. (There's a hole in the mouth as well, but I have no idea what it's for.) A very neat $6 find, made even neater when googling for more info, only to find another one on Etsy currently listed at $250! Said listing (see last image below) also shows how nice the trophy head looks actually mounted on a wall.

4 comments:

Mr. Cavin said...

Screw the wall. I want that baby as my hood ornament.


(Totally a tiger this time. Absolutely.)

Brian Barnes said...

The chipped paint and metal base make the tiger look like it had a lot of cavity work done!

JMR777 said...

Its a trophy for the big game hunter who couldn't afford a trip to India.

It could also be part of a lamp or a gas light fixture from the pre-electric lighting days.

Whatever its past use was, its in great shape considering its age.

Another great score, Karswell, thanks for sharing!

Tom said...

Very cool. For a minute, I thought it was like that tiger head Pee Wee had mounted on his bike.