Blue and Black Ink Drawing of Two Ships with Math Problem on Reverse silverplate is the recipient of two

is the recipient of two NEA fellowships

and the lack of contextualizing details

All of which makes me think about the circumstances and disposition of the particular woman who made this one--whether she lacked a community of women to trade with

via a handy key

which seems not to have faded a bit over the years

Blue and Black Ink Drawing of Two Ships with Math Problem on Reverse silverplate is the recipient of twoThere seems no end to the genres of things I've developed fondness for, antique drawings of ships being high among them! This one I especially love for its combination of three things in one. The larger ship on the front I believe is a Blackwall Frigate, developed in the 1830s for the India and China trade and popular for the Opium trade, and known for its black hull with a white stripe. It seems conceivable that the second, inset ship, with Portland