The Lion on the Brass Clip

I spotted an ornate brass clamp—well, a heavy vintage paper fastener, really—wedged tight under a stack of leather coasters. Getting down from the high cushion wasn't entirely graceful, but I used the ribbed corduroy throw blanket as a ladder, testing each fold before dropping my weight. It held up. Once my boots touched the wood, I braced my feet and gave the metal piece two solid yanks. It broke loose with a sharp chime, revealing an embossed lion head stamped into the spine. An actual crest! I dragged it straight into the shelter of the lamp base to catalog every notch.