What is this? Leg Irons?

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

This is from a early-to-mid-19th century site (ACW or antebellum). Finder thinks it is some kind of leg iron, which is feasible considering the site. I just wanted to get a second opinion to be sure.

 

[R. Porter]

They look like they could be leg irons, but the end furthest from the viewer seems unexpected. I did a search on the Internet which caused me to stumble over this:

Leg irons, European, 1501-1800 | Science Museum Group Collection

Leg irons, European, 1501-1800

collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk

So there is a museum in the UK that thinks these are leg irons. Alamy has a number of stock leg iron photos that have devices similar to yours.

Leg irons iron hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy

Find the perfect leg irons iron stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. Available for both RF and RM licensing.

www.alamy.com

I also discovered that leg irons may come in different colors and that some women choose to wear stiletto heels while in leg irons.