It's a ... thingummyjig!

Calling all those who watch Antiques Roadshow or Crap Cash in the Attic! What is this? I found it last week in the last unsorted box of stuff from Steve's parents' home. I keep it under the stairs for rainy days. Mostly it is full of old address books and members of the filofax clan. Steve's dad had a bigger, more upmarket stationery fetish than I have!

This is clearly a thing for undoing things. You turn the key and the little screws tighten, but on what? Is it a fancy way of eating asparagus? I fear it would be impractical. Or a totally rubbish forerunner of the corkscrew? Does anyone know, or will I really have to take it to a museum? Or ask my mum? C'mon, blippers, between us, we can crack this!

I only found this because I went to the box to look for what we once had: a strange curved brush that I now know to be a hat brush. And how do I know that? Because, after I blipped the cobweb brush (also from Steve's parents) a couple of weeks ago I found a museum in Spitalfields devoted entirely to brushes! And recognised ours. I did not find it on this occasion, but found this Edwardian torture implement instead. Blipfoto will either be the making or the undoing of me. Since I am only held together with gin and cobwebs, it will probably be the latter.

I backblipped yesterday, if you have the time to look.

The answer to today's teaser is here