At the Boston Antiquarian Book Fair last week, I spotted some early sail needles very similar to this set in a vitrine (being sold alongside some other 19th c. nautical materials for a massive sum.) So when I came across these the next day at a show in Maine, I snatched them, mostly because I found the engraving on the label quite wonderful, and that hand-inked "No.5," too, but also as impetus to learn a bit about sail needles--made, as self evident, for hand-stitching sails. Most all that I've found from the 19th century are British, but these are German, and I can find no others out there with this paper label. I believe these are earlier 19th c. than later, and I think this a really wonderful example of an early paper label: look at the faces of those men facing us, holding their hats, as if we were just about to crash into them!
As folded: 3 1/8" x 1 5/8". 11 needles included. A few tears to the gray paper along fold lines, and a little rusting to a few of the needles, but overall very good antique condition and a rare one.
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