Another Snow Day, Another Mystery Artifact!

Hello, everyone.  Hope you are keeping warm on this windy, chilly, snowy day!  It seems like most of the schools in the area had a snow day today, and I'm sure the students are enjoying the 4-day weekend!

We were off yesterday, so we're starting the work week today with an artifact that we hope will intrigue you:

The object is made of forged iron and is hinged.  It can be folded completely shut, and it opens to almost 180 degrees.  Here is a view from a different angle:

What was the function of this object?  Why is it hinged?  Post your best guesses in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.  We can't wait to hear what you think this might be!