1870s CC Shepherd Slant Slate with Eight Double Sided Insert Guides Reilly & Lee oz book this one I believe made

this one I believe made as a rattle for a baby long ago

A few chips around the bottom edge and a couple of hairline cracks

though lots of good use left in it

I am not an expert but have been eyeing decoys of this ilk for a long time

Found in Vermont this week

1870s CC Shepherd Slant Slate with Eight Double Sided Insert Guides Reilly & Lee oz book this one I believe madeI've always wanted to find one of these, but this is the first I've come across still with its full deck of inserts, and an early one made by CC Shepherd c. 1875. There were two different versions of this produced: one opening like a desk to store the guides (and chalk) inside, and this one, with a niche at top into which the plates fit together stacked. (There is an orange ribbon visible when they are removed, the end of which would have served as a