The artifact is primarily made of wood, with metal fasteners and a curved metal bar that acts as a lever to both push down a square of wood into a the main body when the handle is depressed and push up a square block in the interior of the main body when the handle is raised (as in the photo below).
This is quite a large, heavy artifact, as you can tell by the 12" scale in the photo. My best guess is that it would be held or somehow attached to a sturdy surface, but it would be a good trick to be able to do so without interfering with the action of the machine. Alas, I will have to do some extensive research on this one!
Here is a close up of the square block in the main body, pushed up when the handle is in the raised position (as shown in the photo above).
Quite pretty, isn't it? Take your best guess as to the function of this simple machine. Post your thoughts on our Facebook page or in the comments section below!
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