Skeumoji

Emojis which represent skeumorphic objects - that is to say objects which have ornamental features left over from something which was at one point necessary or functional. It seems like there are a lot of these, because many of the iconic qualities preserved in skeumorphisms are the same iconic qualities that warrant an emoji. If you come up with any others, let me know!

Poodle

🐩 Dog breeds may be some of the few examples of a skeumorphic animal, and many dog breeds have features which are now ornamental but originally had specific functions. Their visually iconic pom-pom grooming shape is probably the reason they are the only dog breed with an emoji, but it's also an interesting skeumorphism.

The Continental clip is the proper name for this pom-pom shape, and it comes from the days in which a poodle was a water dog - a dog meant to retrieve shot birds from water. The aim was to cut as much hair as possible without exposing the most cold-sensitive body parts - top of the head, tips of the ears, joints, upper chest. That meant the dog would not be weighed down by so much wet fur while swimming, but would still be protected from the cold water. Nowadays it just looks good on skirts.

Bagel

🥯 It's more like a partial or arguable skeumorphism, but the hole in a bagel historically served two purposes:

1. To allow for quicker and more even cooking, similar to a Bundt cake.
2. To allow it to be mounted on a rope or dowel for easier transportation by street vendors.

It's pretty uncommon these days to see a street vendor selling bagels, though it's not entirely unheard of to see bagels on dowels in a deli or cafe. The effects on baking time are certainly still relevant, but it seems like the hole remains primarily because it's familiar.

Barber pole

💈 This one is a little bit grisly and dates back to the days of the barber surgeon. It also doesn't seem particularly well-substantiated so take it with a grain of salt. To advertise their services pre-literacy, barber surgeons used a sign which consisted of wash basins and a pole used in the blood-letting process. This pole gained colors which corresponded to the various services offered, and the spiral lines may have been related to the Caduceus or the Rod of Asclepius, though that's mostly speculative. Regardless, most barbers don't perform surgery anymore, but the form remains.

Carousel horse

🎠 A Carrousel was a type of 17th century equestrian tournament. Wooden horses that were meant for practicing the games involved were repurposed to become fairground amusements, and then these developed into the painted, circular Carousels we're familiar with.