My character is now doing the Forelhost dungeon. When she went to get the glass claw on its pedestal for the puzzle door, there was no glass claw! Instead there is this Elven gauntlets that do not open the spear gate when I get it. What's happening? I've reloaded to an earlier save, same thing only the useless Elven gauntlets sit on the pedestal. I really want to finish this Forelhost quest but how can I if I don't have the glass claw. Really need some help here. I'm on PC Level 32 vanilla no mods. Thanks...

It happened in my previous playthroughs that this particular claw was knocked off its pedestal either because of some area-effect spell (I think there's some such trap nearby) or because my characters used spells or shouts that knocked it down. IIRC, in that area you aren't just attacked by Draugr but also by a spell-hitting soul gem so a lot of combat happens there.

Unless you find it lying somewhere on the ground, you can spawn it with the console or use the console to teleport yourself to the claw and you'll find out its location.

How do I spawn it? Sorry I don't know the command. Thanks.

The console command to add the glass claw to your inventory is player.additem 0007C260 1

Thanks! I will try to look for the glass claw on the ground. I it isn't there I will do the console command.