19th Century Scrimshaw Bodkin with Pointing Hand American art pottery Graphite on ledger paper

Graphite on ledger paper

but was numbered by hand and shows a couple of impressed letters and numbers

with overlapping rings of inwardly pointing triangles

the masterful textile artist who created this “Eyelash Scarf

Slight darkening of paper around painting is toning product of being formerly overlaid with a mat I believe

19th Century Scrimshaw Bodkin with Pointing Hand American art pottery Graphite on ledger paperAnother 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