Some Help Please

I found this brass piece the other day and wonder what it went to?
It has been engraved and I can't seem to make it out.
I can read " wisdom is practical"
So what is it and what does it say?
Thanks for your help

What ever it is, it is one extremely cool find! Is there any possibility it could be a side plate to a very early musket or matchlock?

i tried to get the letters more visible. 

I dont know...and I cant read it ....but I do know that in the Bible...The Book of Proverbs ...is known as the pratical wisdom book....maybe its a bible verse...

Hill billy, we don't know how large this is. If large, I'll stick with possibility of a  very early sideplate. If it's smaller though, it might possibly be part of the case to a folding medical lancet???

Here's another pic for size.
I can see writing on both pieces, and may have something to do with the book of proverbs as Gypsy suggests. Wish I could clean it up better to read. It came from an old house site that early coppers and buckles were found. I have no clue what this piece is, gun part, lance. Just wish I could read it.

[I downloaded your pic, enlarged it, and did a contrast, and it reads:Most of all Judy, "Wisdom is practical." Yes, Proverbs is the Book of wisdom, but I cannot find a Bible verse that says, 'Wisdom is Practical." Breezie]

I downloaded your pic, enlarged it, and did a contrast, and it reads:
Most of all Judy, "Wisdom is practical."  Yes, Proverbs is the Book of wisdom, but I cannot find a Bible verse that says, 'Wisdom is Practical."  Breezie

[I downloaded your pic, enlarged it, and did a contrast, and it reads:Most of all Judy, "Wisdom is practical." Yes, Proverbs is the Book of wisdom, but I cannot find a Bible verse that says, 'Wisdom is Practical." Breezie]

I downloaded your pic, enlarged it, and did a contrast, and it reads:
Most of all Judy, "Wisdom is practical."  Yes, Proverbs is the Book of wisdom, but I cannot find a Bible verse that says, 'Wisdom is Practical."  Breezie

There's more there than that Breeze. I don't think it's 'Judy", but may be "study". Then there are two more words before "wisdom is practical". 

[I downloaded your pic, enlarged it, and did a contrast, and it reads:Most of all Judy, "Wisdom is practical." Yes, Proverbs is the Book of wisdom, but I cannot find a Bible verse that says, 'Wisdom is Practical." Breezie]

I downloaded your pic, enlarged it, and did a contrast, and it reads:
Most of all Judy, "Wisdom is practical."  Yes, Proverbs is the Book of wisdom, but I cannot find a Bible verse that says, 'Wisdom is Practical."  Breezie

Ok now I can see Most of all Judy, but there is still more script after Judy.
Of course top center looks like RD to me.
Thanks Breezie

I think the 2 marks before the word wisdom are quotations marks.  Do you mean there are 2 more words on the left broken handle piece?  I'm thinking since it is about 'study' and 'wisdom,' maybe it is some type of book or writing desk plate.  Is it engraved?  If so, can you put a piece of thin white paper over the writings, and then rub it with carbon paper?

More pics.

[Okay, since the name Judy is what I call a more modern name than this plate and there are more letters, maybe the name is longer, and it is something like Judezeld or the words: Study well Since it is talking about wisdom, it could be an antique book cover plate/clasp. Here are some pics.]

Okay, since the name Judy is what I call a more modern name than this plate and there are more letters, maybe the name is longer,  and it is  something like Judezeld or the words: Study well
   Since it is talking about wisdom, it could be an antique book cover plate/clasp.  Here are some pics.

Perhaps it says "As the object of all study, and the end of all wisdom, is practical utility"


Preface
The Household Cyclopedia 1881

http://www.mspong.org/cyclopedia/preface.html

HH,
     Donny

Strange request but can you post a very close-up of the word wisdom?

Doug

Perhaps it says "As the object of all study, and the end of all wisdom, is practical utility"


Preface
The Household Cyclopedia 1881

http://www.mspong.org/cyclopedia/preface.html

HH,
     Donny

I'll vote for Donny's brilliant detective work!! 

Mike

Thats a tough one,  looks like the larger hole is set up for a screw to be either flush or counter sunk

One of the best what is its I have seen.

Perhaps it says "As the object of all study, and the end of all wisdom, is practical utility"


Preface
The Household Cyclopedia 1881

http://www.mspong.org/cyclopedia/preface.html

HH,
     Donny

Donny, I believe you are correct. Great job, I would have never figured that one out.
Now what did this brass piece go to?
In the one photo of the back of the piece there appears to be 4 letters. They may help with identifying what the brass piece was used for.
Thanks again everyone for there help so far.

Try to do a rubbing of it. You may find your answer.

here is another view

Perhaps it says "As the object of all study, and the end of all wisdom, is practical utility"


Preface
The Household Cyclopedia 1881

http://www.mspong.org/cyclopedia/preface.html

HH,
     Donny

Donny, I believe you are correct. Great job, I would have never figured that one out.
Now what did this brass piece go to?
In the one photo of the back of the piece there appears to be 4 letters. They may help with identifying what the brass piece was used for.
Thanks again everyone for there help so far.

Buckles, I still think it might have been one of the outside halves to a folding medical lancet. It wouldn't be unusual for a phrase like this to appear on what may have been a gift to a youg doctor.

lancets of colonial times came in different styles, and unfortunately very few are pictured on the web. Some fold with a longer blade. This one may have had a shorter blade, with the handle making up the difference. Here is a scan showing he hump that covers the blaqde on a slightly diffeent style of lancet. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://footguards.tripod.com/01ABOUT/01_Companies/lancet.jpg&imgrefurl=http://footguards.tripod.com/01ABOUT/01_Companies/01_surgeon.htm&usg=__P9F4Dsl-YRA2QEoYgPdqTGv0ZIw=&h=352&w=432&sz=23&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=asizzBG4TfWESM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=126&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmedical%2Blancet%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

Perhaps it says "As the object of all study, and the end of all wisdom, is practical utility"


Preface
The Household Cyclopedia 1881

http://www.mspong.org/cyclopedia/preface.html

HH,
     Donny

Donny, I believe you are correct. Great job, I would have never figured that one out.
Now what did this brass piece go to?
In the one photo of the back of the piece there appears to be 4 letters. They may help with identifying what the brass piece was used for.
Thanks again everyone for there help so far.

Buckles, I still think it might have been one of the outside halves to a folding medical lancet. It wouldn't be unusual for a phrase like this to appear on what may have been a gift to a youg doctor.

lancets of colonial times came in different styles, and unfortunately very few are pictured on the web. Some fold with a longer blade. This one may have had a shorter blade, with the handle making up the difference. Here is a scan showing he hump that covers the blaqde on a slightly diffeent style of lancet. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://footguards.tripod.com/01ABOUT/01_Companies/lancet.jpg&imgrefurl=http://footguards.tripod.com/01ABOUT/01_Companies/01_surgeon.htm&usg=__P9F4Dsl-YRA2QEoYgPdqTGv0ZIw=&h=352&w=432&sz=23&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=asizzBG4TfWESM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=126&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmedical%2Blancet%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

I believe johnnyi is correct.  This is half of a handle for a brass lancet or bloodletting fleam.

Here is a web page with lots of them - almost all of them engraved in some way.

http://www.alllancets.com/Brass2.html

Great ID.

DCMatt

Looks right on! Amazing ID. 

Fantastic find and ID.

I see the resemblance, but the lancets always have the protruding  1/2 moon or other shaped portion on the end opposite the pivot point.  Not dissagreeing, just noting a discrepency.

I see the resemblance, but the lancets always have the protruding  1/2 moon or other shaped portion on the end opposite the pivot point.  Not dissagreeing, just noting a discrepency.

Swoodluther, as I said in my post, if this was part of a lancet, then the arm to the blade on this one would be shorter, hinging on the large screw and terminating at the actual blade itself (the hump). For all practical purposes the small upward part of the  blade is the "working end" and in theory anyway, the longer handle would provide the same grip as a shorter version with a longer strraight part of the blade would. Like I said, we have so very few images to go by, particularly concerning such very early tools (and this script looks colonial) that this is only a guess.