LAST week's mystery object defeated readers - with no correct guesses.
It was, in fact, a mould for a soup spoon.
Experts from Craven Museum and Gallery tell us: "The mould is made from two parts of cast iron with wooden handles. The spoon has a square end to the handle.
"The mould dates from around the 17th century. These moulds were designed to take molten metal through a pouring hole. The cutlery would be filed into shape (thus removing excess metal) and then polished. This method was convenient as it reduced the labour time to manufacture the product.
"By the beginning of the 18th century, these moulds became obsolete as a new method to produce cutlery was introduced by pressing the object from a metal plate."
All items featured in this column can be viewed at the Craven District Council-run museum which is located at Skipton Town Hall. It is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 4pm
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.
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