Do these serve any function?

[bravia]

Hello,

I'm about to lay new flooring in the hallway, and I unscrewed a trellis that was attached to the staircase. You can see traces of it on the staircase, and a bit left on the left side.



Does this trellis serve any function (stabilize the staircase?) or is it just for appearance?

Best regards

 

[roland53]

Safety thing so children etc. don't fall down.