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Comment by SamBam | Hacker News Reader

I don't really buy that theory. There's no explanation for why it needs to be this very-hard-to-cast bronze dodecahedron, instead of just a wooden board with pegs and holes, which is all that would be needed for the video above.

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It's possible that most were made out of common materials. Only those made of something sufficiently resilient survived for us to find.

Basically a show off piece for those with enough coin!

Why not? If it was a common item, it would be natural that there a deluxe versions for e.g. the royal household.

The cheap and simple versions would have rotted away by now.

The article mentions that none of them exhibit wear marks that are characteristic of tools.

Do you think show pieces in rich households would be used?

I’d argue if they did, someone was getting fired immediately.

Have we found any other shows pieces for other household items? Because if not, it’s very unlikely that’s the case

Yes, all the time. Like silverware, ornamental swords/weapons like axes, jewelry.

I’ve seen many vases and other such vessels in the homes of rich people that are not used to store liquids, but instead sit there empty on a console table in the hallway!

In that case this isn't a tool, it's a decoration. And if none of them are worn, then the decoration isn't imitating a knitting tool, since some would show wear if that were its actual use.

Would the royal household also have decorative brass stone masons' chisels, carpenters' planes, doctors' scalpels, and farmers' sickles?

I don't really buy that theory. Do we have any other examples of fancy decorative versions of working class tools?

Anecdotally, I have seen decorative plates hanging on walls, spinning wheels, ships wheels, oil lamps, etc all used decoratively in contemporary settings.

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