Old Iron Hand-shaped (Presumed) Branding Iron pair of stone fruit pears The three dark ones I

The three dark ones I think are ebony

and four layers around the sides

The drawing measures 12 1/4" x 8 3/8" and is in good condition

signed on the back--"To my son

or keep it on the desk to hold papers in order and pop the lid off a cold one when work is done

Old Iron Hand-shaped (Presumed) Branding Iron pair of stone fruit pears The three dark ones II can't figure out anything this could be other than a branding iron; there are gaps at either side where the hand meets the handle that make it seem unlikely that it would work as a mold or cutter of some sort. Assuming the former, I'd guess that the arm once fit inside some sort of extension, so that when hot it would not burn one's hand when using. It appears to me that it was hand forged, and is quite old (and heavy, weighing almost 2 pounds) and