Handsome Old Carved Wooden Shorebird Emile Bluteau The black headed pins clustered

The black headed pins clustered on one of the spools would be used to mark the pattern and to provide points around which the thread

(It also of course reminds me of antique kindergarten cut paper weavings

Sliding open the lid of this box to find it filled with these old bone gaming chips was

I think these would also make perfect gifts to dole out individually

I found another of a very similar animal form in a very similar manner described as a fox (image included in photos)--that one 19th century and described as carved by a shaman for a hunter to carry as as a sort of amulet or charm

Handsome Old Carved Wooden Shorebird Emile Bluteau The black headed pins clusteredI found this old carved shorebird in New Hampshire this week and just thought it really beautiful. I'm not at all an expert on bird carvings, but I look at enough of them around these parts to notice when one stands out and feels special. It appears this one may once have one been painted, but most of that is gone now, with the rich brown of the wood body much of what makes it especially lovely to me. 13 3 8" t x 12 5 8" long measured on the square.