Featured SOMETHING UNIQUE TO FIGURE OUT....SO FAR WE HAVE NO ANSWER!!

Back on DH's 50th birthday, my parents gave this 'guy' to him.....we've both loved it ever since, and he's hung....FIRMLY anchored to the ceiling over the stairs going to the basement level, since we moved in to our current home, some 30+ years ago!!! We haven't touched him except for some delicate dusting as it's hard to reach (it was a MAJOR fiasco getting him up there....but he IS as he CAME to us!!!) My parents thought he might have been an English Shopkeeper's sign.....ONE minor alteration though....somewhere along the line two fore fingers and a thumb got broken off & my Dad carved him new ones.....that's IT!!! They're obvious....And I think I've said before.....it's like pulling hen's teeth to try and find a receipt for most ANYTHING.... so far.....NADA!!!! As usual, Mom found him in 'some antique shop somewhere'.....it's all I've got........! BUT I DO have a 'boatload' of images!!!!

HOWEVER, My QUESTIONS!!! Can anyone DATE THIS and figure out it's PURPOSE????? THANK YOU ALWAYS For ANY HELP!!!!​

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And the rest:















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I'm in love!

 

Aqui, he is amazing. I think he could be German.
He reminds me of German chandeliers made from antlers and carved statues of Medieval and mythological ladies, called 'Lüsterweibchen' or 'Leuchterweibchen', which look like this:




Lüsterweibchen or Leuchterweibchen means little chandelier woman, but there is also a dragon version, especially for me



More on Lüsterweibchen:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lusterweibchen

 

outstanding...........

 

Getting closer, a male one, a 'Lüstermännchen':

 

Wow!!!! Never heard of those, they are FANTASTIC!

 

Takes you to the Middle Ages, doesn't it. Castles, dragons, damsels in distress....

 

Aqui, your violin player is oustanding
Your hubby did a very good "hubbysation" of the fingers, barely noticeable

 

Thanks, @kyratango ....it was my DAD that did that carving....HE was pretty talented that way!!! Somehow, MOM always thought the 'Clothing' was a KEY to helping DATE the figure.....and maybe LOCATING him!!!! So far, NADA...... other than @Any Jewelry's suggestions!!

 

Here's a print of one from 1883. I'd say that date, more or less, is a good one for Aquitaine as far as whenthe original was made:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/antique-pr...723597?hash=item41d93ffccd:g:0mIAAOSw8R9aZLbD

 

Wow, I've never seen one of these before! Thanks for showing it!
Truly bizarre and beautiful! Am trying to figure out what the black bits are made of? Almost looks like painted clay or dough, but I know that would never have survived so long! What do you think these parts are made of, Aqui?
Excellent repair job on the fingers too, I can't tell there was ever an accident!

 

I thought they were wrought iron.

 

Thanks, they may be

 

@antidiem, if you're referring to all the black parts, absolutely they are all metal/wrought iron!! That is how it came to my parents (and us!)! I thought rather nice metal working!!!

 

Thanks @Ghopper1924....I was thinking/hoping the clothing might have indicated an earlier date, but it is what it is, that's for sure!!! REALLY kind of hard to find anything closer in looks to it!!! But these "Lüsterweibchen" shown are probably as close as we're ever going to get!!!! THANKS EVERYONE, for ALL INPUT!!!!