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Victorian Brass Fluted Picture Rail Hooks
Houses built before WW2 would always have a picture rail installed at about 7 to 8 feet above the floor in all rooms other than kitchens and bathrooms. A picture rail is t a decorative moulding, which actually serves a very specific function. It is designed with a small lip on the top of the moulding in order to accommodate a picture rail hook. The picture rail hook is by far the best way to hang things on a wall without causing any plaster damage. Picture rail can support heavy loads being hung on walls like large mirrors or paintings that (without the rail) would normally require drilling holes in the plaster and installing anchors. Modern houses rarely have picture rails.
The hooks pictured on the left demonstrate a fluted decoration, whereas those on the right have a floral design. Both are believed to be late Victorian/Edwardian. Later versions were usually quite plain and simply functional.