14 People Who Stumbled Upon Confusing Objects — and Internet Sleuths Solved Their Mysteries

You don’t have to be an archaeologist to stumble upon fascinating and mysterious objects. All around the world, people have discovered extraordinary items — sometimes tucked away in old basements, other times washed up on a quiet beach. There’s something thrilling about finding such puzzling artifacts, especially when their purpose or origin isn’t immediately clear.

1. “What is the origin of this chair? Is it old? I found it in a dumpster.”

Answer: It’s a birthing chair. The handles on the sides are for the mother to grip. The back is narrow so a birth attendant can easily reach around from behind to massage the mother.

2. “Unidentified objects received in a recent cookie order. They are rubbery plastic. They don’t seem related to any of the food items in my purchase. No markings.”

Answer: They are supposed to be a gag gift. You put the rubber part around your ear, and it looks like you have a cotton swab sticking out of your head.

3. “What is this wooden object?”

Answer: It’s a hat stretcher.

4. “What’s this thing?”

Answer: It’s an asparagus server.

5. “A wooden cabinet with a height of 1 meter and a depth of 0.5. Hinged door at the front.”

Answer: It’s a sauna for one.

6. “Had these mailed to me unannounced. No idea what they are. Any help?”

Answer: They go on your key ring, and you use them to open doors or push buttons, so you don’t have to use your fingers.

7. “Saw this object today in Austria. What is it?”

Answer: It’s a bollard; when installed primarily as a visual guide, they guide traffic and mark boundaries.

8. “Found this in my grandpa’s closet. What is it?”

Answer: It’s to pick up sugar cubes.

9. “I found this in our kitchen drawer when I moved in, none of my flatmates have any idea. What is this thing?”

Answer: It’s a part of a tea infuser.

10. “Found above the door in the backseat of a 2011 Porsche Cayenne; what are the holes behind the small door used for?”

Answer: Hangers. So if you pick up dry cleaning, you can hang the clothing instead of risking wrinkles by laying it on the seat.

11. “I seriously need help identifying this thing.”

Answer: It’s a tool for polishing drinking glasses.

12. “My dad bought these at a garage sale. They’re solid brass and open on the inside. Any ideas?”

Answer: They are fancy stirrups; devices attached to each side of a horse’s saddle in the form of a loop with a flat base to support the rider’s foot.

13. “What is this unusual white plastic kitchen utensil with handle?”

Answer: It would be used to stir the contents in a blender. It inserts in the top to stir it.

14. “Does anyone know what is it for? My grandma has had this for years, possibly dates back to early 1900’s. Her grandma says it was used for medicine, but my grandma is not so sure about that.”

Answer: It’s a glass candy jar in the shape of a pipe. They made them in all kinds of shapes back then. The company is Findlay.

We love these little mysteries — they give us a chance to test our curiosity and learn something new along the way. If you feel the same, here’s another fascinating collection of puzzling objects for you to explore.