And this is ...

[Shakethetrees]

Originally Posted by fernando

I bow to your knowledge. This is what the seller told me when i fell in love with this apparatus... and acquired it. The romantic text goes well with it. I still don't know if there is a an actual name for this tool ... in either language. The seller is a carpenter by profession; i will ask him if he can identify the wood. Its age is not modern at all: 19th century ... if not prior.

I thank you, Fernando.

Your "gizmo" is similar to a spring hammer used in silversmithing to stretch and thin silver sheet. When you're faced with hours of hammering to achieve a mundane but necessary task, the spring allows you to develop a rhythm and concentrate on nuancing the blows rather than wearing yourself out.

A nice find!

[fernando]

Thank you for further commenting on this type of 'geringonças'. The seller also had a device for stretching gold wire, but it was incomplete and not so appealing as this one. His atempt on the wood used would be oak or cork oak.
I am trying to know further details trough the local owner of a gold museu; things like how the gold beating operation is called over here, the name of the machine, possible age and so; so far no resuilt.