Chinese Seamstress's Tool

Twisted halfway along its shank, as if the smith got bored and wrung it out.

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. Dark and slender, this tool has a short spiral twist near the blade end and a smooth shank leading to a tiny closed loop. The blade is a narrow, upswept crescent. The surface is dull grey-brown with faint pale highlights, lightly worn. It is 8.75 inches wide.

A tiny twist, and a good deal of personality.