Sweet and Son, Providence RI, Late 19th c. Handcut Stencil tiny sketchbook which has been painted with

which has been painted with black and white enamel

as if trying to match the angle of the stone

" "from purity of thought all pleasure springs

All given to the Mother to announce an upcoming play

and these old shoe-shaped snuff boxes are such wonderful

Sweet and Son, Providence RI, Late 19th c. Handcut Stencil tiny sketchbook which has been painted withI love an old stencil, particularly ones that stand on their own as interesting objects, and particularly ones incorporating good words language that makes them resonate beyond their original function. Here, in addition to being a nice little piece of Providence, RI history (Sweet appears to have opened in 1840 as a manufacturer and wholesale dealer of dry goods, first as J. B Sweet then becoming "Sweet & Son" with the addition of S. S. Sweet, the