Found in southern Maine this week, I think this is really beautiful, and quite poetic, too. It is a 19th century bootjack, which was used so much that the hanging hole at the narrow end wore all the way through, leaving that open curve. I love the primitive elegance of the resulting form, which also reads like a body, arms (or open mouth, or claw) extending from one end, legs from the other. And turn it over, there's a face! The wood itself shows a rich, warm, dry patina, a history of scrapes and scuffs smoothed over from wear.
15" l x 3 9/16" w x 3 1/8" t. The base on the jack, attached to the flat via recessed old flat head iron screws, is not fully tight and has a little wiggle. It is not about to fall off, but I'm not sure I'd put this to frequent practical use.
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