Antique Sailor Made Scrimshawed Ruler and Presumed Busk Fragment good luck gift Color is fantastic

Color is fantastic

running vertically around the outside (looking like bands of hearts or hourglasses) and horizontally across the interior

vessel itself 11 3/4” t  x 4 5/8" d

but think one could do some further delving into this

but then those hand-stitched black whiskers are wayyy farther down

Antique Sailor Made Scrimshawed Ruler and Presumed Busk Fragment good luck gift Color is fantasticI'll never resist a handmade ruler, all the more so a sailor whaler made one, this one measuring seven inches. I found it along with what I believe is a fragment from a busk a common form for scrimshawing, to bring home to wives and sweethearts for use in corsets. The decoration on this one is minimal, but very fine, perhaps meant for a name to be engraved inside of it. Earlier than later 19th century New England I believe, lovely things. Ruler