LAST week's Craven Curiosity looked strange to say the least. Several people guessed it was a brush of some sort, but not its actual purpose. Sam Moore of Todmorden thought it was a shoe brush of some kind, while Peter Hudson thought it was a crumb tray, with crumbs brushed into the mouth. Anne Lindsay, from Steeton, and Maureen Batty, from Settle, both thought it was a brush and crumb tray used to clean tables.

It was an antique razorback pig or boar pen wipe.

Experts from Craven Museum and Gallery tells us: "The stiff black brush on the back was used to wipe off any excess ink from quill pens. The jaws were used as a paper clip holder.

"The metal is made from varnished brass and the measurements are 122mm. It dates from around the late 1800s to the early 1900s.

"Brush pen wipes such as this was a novel idea as not only it was a decorative status symbol, but as a practical use to avoid any ink spillage."

All items featured in this column can be viewed at the museum, which is run by Craven District Council and is in Skipton Town Hall. It is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, from 10am to 4pm, as well as the first Sunday of every month from May to September and Bank Holiday Mondays.

Meanwhile we are inviting guesses about this week’s mystery object. Suggestions can be emailed to news@cravenherald.co.uk, to arrive no later than noon on Monday.