This is the find this week that excited--excites!--me most...what a marvelous carving! It also remains a bit of a mystery. My guess is that it was made as a weaving tool, with the lower half seeming likely meant for winding yarn or thread around, and it clearly shows a great deal of handling, the the wood smoothed and softened around the edges over many many years. It also seems that the back of her "chair" doubled as a sort of loop, either for threading (like a shuttle for weaving?) or attaching to something else? Whatever the case, I believe this carved tool is VERY old, i.e. 17th century, and while she looks a bit African when viewed head on, my guess, based on the manner of carving and details, is British. With wonderful carved details, from the detailing of her hair and tiered skirt, to the scalloping up the front of her blouse, to those litte hands and those little boots! Held in those hands is what looks quite like a heart, though perhaps it is something else that relates to her function? Quite a special thing.
11 3/8" x 1 5/16" x 9/16". One of the two vertical "legs" of her "chair" is lost; otherwise marvelous condition, beautifully richened by age and use. I've included, for reference, a British carving of a woman dating to the late 1500s, which shares many formal qualities with this one.
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