This is the answer to the question I posed on my previous post. But what are they?
They are life size painted wooden cut-out figures of soldiers, serving maids, children and animals etc. The oldest date back to the c17th. However there are question marks surrounding exactly what they were used for, but the general consensus is that they were placed in grand homes to deter the entry of burglars or intruders. From a distance, the figures could be mistaken for people especially when they were placed in such a way that they cast flickering shadows around the room in firelight.
Two people answered the question correctly, so really well done to them. The first correct answer came from
