The Shape Provides Important Clues
Look closely at the objects.
They are elongated and relatively narrow. Their surfaces contain numerous raised rings or ribs. At the top is a small attachment point.
That attachment point is particularly important.
If the object were simply decorative, a loop would make sense because it could be hung from a branch, hook, or string. But if the object is extremely heavy, the loop has an even more practical explanation: it was probably designed to support the weight while suspended.
That is exactly what you would expect from a mechanical weight.
The repeated ridges may also have been part of the object’s decorative design. There was no need for a weight to be perfectly plain if it was going to be visible inside a clock or used around an elegantly decorated room.
In other words, the strange appearance may actually be evidence that these objects are old rather than evidence that they are useless.
Could They Be Window Weights?
There is one more possibility worth mentioning: old window sash weights.
Traditional double-hung windows could use a pulley-and-counterweight system. A cord connected the movable window sash to a weight hidden inside the wall. When the window moved upward or downward, the weight moved in the opposite direction, helping balance the sash.
Historic cast-iron window weights are still recovered from old houses today. They can be substantial, solid pieces of metal and may have been hidden inside walls for decades.
However, the exact design varies considerably.
The objects shown in this photograph look more decorative than many ordinary window sash weights, so it would be premature to declare that they came from a window system.
The same applies to curtain weights and clock weights.
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