Antique wooden cup???

[KC]

I was wondering if it was a nail cup as well Mart!  They would make them on a stick to hand up to workers!!!

[bigwull]

Bigwull I'm in the middle of getting it appraised.  The museum wouldn't  do that, but it is what I said. The curator agreed.

..fiddlesticks!!

[Rauville]

...wonder if it was a nail cup !! I mean they didn`t have nail aprons back then !!  Needed someplace to put nails while hammering !!...

Getting sidetracked here, but...
I'm curious as to why you feel they didn't use nail aprons at the time? Even the Book of Hours from 500 years ago depicts workers and tradesmen using aprons of some sort, including examples with pockets across the front.

My thinking is...anyone smart enough to build a house probably figured out where to carry his nails .

[mart]

Ha !!  Most likely because I have never seen one from that time !!  My Dad had a small compartmented tray with a handle he used sometimes and had nails of various sizes in each compartment, also had a place for his hammer on other side.  He used a nail apron when framing !!