Chinese Seamstress's Tool

Big loose ring dangles off one end like a keyring that got ambitious.

This iron seamstress's tool is from Hebei Province, China, and dates to the 19th century. Iron tools were part of the daily work of Chinese households, where sewing, mending and embroidery were skills that women commonly practiced and passed from one generation to the next. Thin and straight with a faintly lumpy shank, this tool has a wide separate ring hung at one end and a small flared, spoon-like blade at the other. The finish is grey-brown with pale wear along the edges. It is 9.75 inches wide.

Accessories included, and it is not shy about them.