Hi Matt,

It looks like you have an umbrella runner (the stretchers fit into the notches and the runner slides up and down the umbrella stick to open and close the umbrella).

There is a nice blog post written by Jenn Ogborne on Poplar Forest's website that discusses umbrellas and has a great image of a runner.
(http://poplarforestarchaeology.com/2013/05/14/442/)

Best,

Jillian

Jillian Galle
Project Director, The Digital Archaeological Archive of Comparative Slavery
Monticello
P.O. Box 316
Charlottesville, VA 22902
434-984-9873



-----Original Message-----
From: Cross, Matthew [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2015 3:32 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Unknown Gear

HistArch:

Does anybody recognize this? Maybe a gear? It appears to be lacquered brass. It was found in a western Illinois house cellar in a ca. 1840-1870 occupation context.
http://s1153.photobucket.com/user/mecross/media/P1080329_zps890b689a.jpg.html
http://s1153.photobucket.com/user/mecross/media/P1080331_zpsfba96384.jpg.html

Thanks.

-Matt
______________________________________________

Matthew E. Cross
Archaeological Assistant - Historic Section

Illinois State Archaeological Survey
Prairie Research Institute
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
209 Nuclear Physics Lab, MC-571
23 East Stadium Drive
Champaign, IL 61820

217.300.3060
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