Sweet Old Sailor Made Heavily Varnished Knotwork Basket mask with teeth simple but lovely backs

simple but lovely backs

And with sleeves rolled up under her stained smock-like dress

1920s-30s I would guess

Super usable as a door stop still

where the BW who signed it first wrote Little Nelly

Sweet Old Sailor Made Heavily Varnished Knotwork Basket mask with teeth simple but lovely backsI love old sailor made knotwork macrame baskets like this, crafted from fishing twine while men were out at sea, intended as sweetheart gifts to be delivered upon return home. Some sailors were more ambitious than others; this is a relatively simple one, but I think that is very much to the good! And it was finished with an especially heavy layer of varnish, also to the good, as any future slumping was completely staved off. Nice rich brown color, and