What is this for?

My Syren model has this under the jiboom and 4 backstay lines are passed though it to the bow rails pins port and starboard. The instructions call it a ”fairlead”
 
And just to show that I'm not the first to be unsure here is a picture that Frank48 sent me. It is from the Young Sea Officers Sheet Anchor. You can see that someone wrote the info on this Fig147 many many years ago. He must have been confused too.

Screenshot (17).png
 
Yes it is a fairlead. It not only keeps the lines organised, it stops them twisting around each other as they lay down the bowsprit, it also keeps the lines away from the jibs. Some ships also had a net overlay the bowsprit to do the same thing.
 
I'm clearly the proverbial day late but perhaps I can still contribute something of value. It is indeed the bowsprit fairlead and here is a list of some of the lines which may pass through it on their way aft. I hope this link is of some interest to y'all.

Bowsprit Fairlead - what rigging uses this?

I am trying to verify the number of running rigging lines from the Bowsprit/Jib Boom yards and sails that pass through the fairlead located on the bowsprit of a English 74 gun Man of War launched in 1786. I have come to realize there were quite a number of changes (upgrades) in these ships during...
modelshipworld.com modelshipworld.com
 
Rack-blocks.
Look on page 115 of Vol. 3 of Boudriots book and then go to page 181 Fig.306
 
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