“What is this thing?”: 25 riddles and answers (26 photos)

The What Is This Thing subreddit is a place where you can post a photo of any item you don't know and ask for its identification. There are more than 2.7 million members in the community and they will immediately come to the rescue!





1. “What is this object? Found it on a beach in Yorkshire, it has holes in it and feels like a mixture of rock and plastic."



This is a Victorian era toothbrush. The handle is made from animal bone and the holes contain bristles (usually pig or horse hair). Toothbrushes like these were invented in China in the 1400s, but contrary to everything that seems good and reasonable in this world, most Europeans didn't become interested in toothbrushes until the late 1700s and early 1800s.

2. “Patches of sand floating on top of the water near the shoreline, each patch about 4-10 cm in diameter. What kind of phenomenon is this?”





It is dry sand floating on stretched water, carried by the tide. This only happens when it is hot enough to dry out the sand and the water is completely calm.

3. “What is this silver spoon with the “top” part?”



This is a vintage silver plated spoon for feeding the disabled/ giving medicine from Christofle Orfevre a Paris.

4. “A closet in a 1950s house. For what?"



This is a niche for a phone.

5. “The height of the structure is about a meter, it is made of solid wood. It doesn't weigh very much, maybe 2-4 kg. The handle hanging down swings, but the top handle is motionless. What is this thing for?



This is a device for removing boots (boot jack). The heel is placed in the U-shaped groove at the bottom, supported by the other leg, the top of the foot is placed on the swinging part. Next, hold the top handle and yank the boot off the heel, lifting your foot up and out.

6. “The balls are hard to the touch and crunch/ring at a low pitch when shaken.”



These are Baoding's "health balls". They are designed for stress relief and concentration. You should place both of them on your palm and rotate them in a circle.

7. “We bought a house with a glass structure in the backyard, but we have no idea what it’s for.”



This is a greenhouse for growing mushrooms. It's called a "fruit-bearing house." It looks like there's even a substrate there that's used to grow mushrooms.

8. “A small ceramic bowl with three small pine cones in the middle. I've never seen anything like this"



This is an ikebana vase. It is designed for Japanese-style flower arrangements. The flowers are placed in tubes, and the rest of the space is also filled with water, usually smooth stones, and maybe a small sculpture of a turtle or frog.

9. “Some promotional thing I got for free at a Christmas market. It's the size of my hand, the white top screws on and off, and the red bag expands and is quite voluminous."



This is a miniature bag for ice/hot water to make compresses for injuries, sprains, and pain.

10. “What are those little doors on the hotel bathroom doors?”



This is a gate, a door (two in this case) inside the main door. They are used primarily in psychiatric wards as a way to gain entry into a room that may be barricaded.

11. “What is this unusual pocket watch with a lever and a strange dial?”



This is a pocket roulette in the form of a pocket watch (to make it easier to hide), but with a rotating dial instead of an indicator hand. Consists of 12 parts instead of the usual number, so as to look like when viewedbroken pocket watch. Most likely a conversion from a pocket watch, as part of the original frame is visible around the dial.

12. “What are these little bowls with holes in the bottom? I have no idea what to do with them."



These are pots for succulents.

13. “Found in a thrift store. A ceramic thing with two small holes and a hole the size of an egg cup. I've never seen anything like it"



This is a porcelain brush holder.

14. “A large metal tube with a tapered front, transported with a police escort on an extended flatbed trailer.”



This is the spindle on which Boeing weaves the carbon fiber fuselage of the Dreamliner.

15. “What is that golden spinning thing? Approximately 5-7 cm in length and with designs on each side"



This is a letter seal.

16. “What is that cabinet above the built-in oven? It doesn't open"



This is a place to store baking sheets.

17. “Found in the backyard. It looks like chalk and rubs off when you run your finger over it. I have dogs and I want to make sure it's not poison. Thank you!"



This is a clay plug from the bottom of a fireworks tube.

18. “A little scented cube from Morocco that we bought thinking it was soap.”



This is a Moroccan solid resin perfume bar. It is made of resin and wax.

19. “Set of 9 wooden balls. 4 black, 4 brown and one smaller brown ball. What is it for?



Bocce balls.

20. “What is this pan with tubes and a suction system? Remained from previous residents"



This is a milking machine for goats and cows.

21. “Round brown objects with holes in them lined up along a small waterway in St. Pete, Florida.”



These are artificial reefs. They serve to create a shoreline that prevents erosion.

22. “Something like a combination of tongs and strainer?”



This is a manual colander for fried foods.

23. “A sword that plugs into an electrical outlet?”



Almost. This is an electric tie iron.

24. “A pole with a ring around it and a heavy base. What is this?"



Umbrella stand.

25. “Transparent solid object. Playing card for scale"



This is a magnifying glass for reading books.