# What is this thing? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 4, 2014, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/685333 "2014-04-04T12:35:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/685333/1 "2014-04-04T12:35:33Z")
Ok, here is a [picture](http://tinypic.com/r/2m4vdc9/8) of the item in question. It’s a decorative household item, looks to be made of brass and colored glass with a marble base. It is about 2’ high, and has no lamp wiring, or signs that it ever had wiring in it. It does appear to look like a set of scales, but has no moving parts, and I would think that putting uneven weight on the arms would cause it to tip over. ---
**Author:** ![ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisUsernameIsForbidden)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/685333/2 "2014-04-04T12:38:55Z")
Junk that serves nothing but a decorative purpose. It probably had two brass bowls hanging on each end with three chains, like the Justice symbol. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/685333/3 "2014-04-04T12:40:43Z")
I’d say candle holder but it doesn’t look like there’s a place for candles. Something to hang jewelry from? Or bananas, while they ripen? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/685333/4 "2014-04-04T12:53:06Z")
I can’t tell for sure but is there a place at the top to put an ashtray? It could be an ashtray stand. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/685333/5 "2014-04-04T13:01:51Z")
Non-functional replica of a scale. If you look at the top, there is a vertical needle that, in a functional scale, indicates right or left. There were probably hanging bowls for display of wax fruit, or perhaps plants. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/685333/6 "2014-04-04T13:38:04Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > I’d say candle holder but it doesn’t look like there’s a place for candles. > > Something to hang jewelry from? Or bananas, while they ripen? 🙂 I vote for the jewelry hanger. Or maybe necklaces on one side and bananas on the other? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/685333/7 "2014-04-04T13:40:52Z")
Concur, decorative scale. I’m a little concerned about those gang markings in the concrete, though… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/685333/8 "2014-04-04T13:50:55Z")
Candelabra with the seats for two candles gone missing. Either screw on, or snapped off, in my opinion! ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/685333/9 "2014-04-04T13:56:40Z")
My first thought was scale, but it’s missing the pans hanging from chains. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/685333/10 "2014-04-04T14:21:39Z")
Thing Thing What is this thing? -Dr. Seuss ---
**Author:** ![Melchior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Melchior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melchior)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/685333/11 "2014-04-04T14:21:42Z")
decorative scale. the indicator needle at the top gives it away. pans are absent. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/685333/12 "2014-04-04T14:36:19Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Concur, decorative scale. > > I’m a little concerned about those gang markings in the concrete, though… 😃 Thankfully it’s not my neighborhood. I’m leaning towards a decorative scale myself, though I’m holding out hope that it’s something weird and purposeful. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/685333/13 "2014-04-04T14:44:12Z")
Murder weapon in a _Columbo_ episode. ---
**Author:** ![Melchior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Melchior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melchior)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/685333/14 "2014-04-04T14:53:19Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Murder weapon in a _Columbo_ episode. Oh, one more thing… ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/685333/15 "2014-04-04T16:49:04Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Murder weapon in a _Columbo_ episode. Looks more like it’s Mrs. Peacock in the Conservatory… ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/685333/16 "2014-04-04T16:49:24Z")
It can’t be for hanging anything heavier than jewelry. If you tried to hang bananas, for example, it would tip over as soon as you had an unequal amount on the two sides. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/685333/17 "2014-04-04T16:54:21Z")
A decorative candle holder designed to look like a scale. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/685333/18 "2014-04-04T16:55:54Z")
Missed the edit window, but it’s definitely a decorative scale. When it had the hanging baskets, you probably had to be careful about what you put in it. Try an [image search](https://www.google.com/search?q=decorative+scale&rlz=1C1JRYI_enUS468US468&espv=210&es_sm=122&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=puI-U9LjE8KbygHRn4HQAw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg&biw=1680&bih=965#imgdii=_) of “decorative scale” and you’ll see many similar ones like [this](http://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/5775949/il_fullxfull.222055701.jpg?ref=l2).