Nailed Heart, Hand-tooled Details, c. Early 19th Century Leather and Wood Snuff Shoe black in What most draws me to

What most draws me to antique school slates are the histories they carry

Some scattered stains as evident

Photos document the whole stretch of it through sequential detail views

or maybe just as a love token of sorts

Really a charming piece in terrific shape--useful still as a string holder

Nailed Heart, Hand-tooled Details, c. Early 19th Century Leather and Wood Snuff Shoe black in What most draws me toI love a carved shoe, and especially a carved shoe shaped snuff box, but I look at a whole lot of them and mostly let them go. I purchased this and a second today on Ebay from a seller who seemed to have come into a very good small collection of them, all fine early examples I think this one c. late 1700s based on form and materials and compparison to related examples out there. A fairly unusual one, hand tooled leather rather than wood, every inch