19th Century Scrimshaw Bodkin with Pointing Hand American art pottery 13 inches long overall x

13 inches long overall x 3/8" wide and deep

snake-like circular and square coils interrupting the horizontal ones

of what was most likely a woman venturing out on a stroll along the seashore again and again to collect and then carefully preserve them

To my eye a total charmer

the masterful textile artist who created this “Eyelash Scarf

19th Century Scrimshaw Bodkin with Pointing Hand American art pottery 13 inches long overall xAnother 19th century sailor whaler made bone bodkin with a hand at the opposite end, which I purchased from a longtime dealer of antique maritime objects. This a diminutive one, just a hair longer than 2 inches, which to me makes the carving of this pointing hand, whalebone I believe, seem all the more amazing. With nicely carved bands and stars characteristic of these, and a sharp point at the opposite end, useful for piercing fabric or pushing