Last of the Heart Quilting Clamps, 19th Century Hand-forged, SOLD INDIVIDUALLY holy woman so am thinking they were

so am thinking they were likely used by someone for selecting paper to use in a dollhouse

and just fabulous I think

which add to its objecthood

with light wear and a bit of paint loss in a couple of spots to the painted exterior and one tiny loose bit at lower right corner

and with the fantastic execution amplifying a sense of wonder at creatures that already seem quite fantastical

Last of the Heart Quilting Clamps, 19th Century Hand-forged, SOLD INDIVIDUALLY holy woman so am thinking they wereBefore the holidays I was up in mid coast Maine for a show and purchased a couple of old handmade saws and an antique iron heart quilting clamp from a dealer who always has interesting things, all I believe having come from one collection. I then returned a few weeks ago to find that he had put out a few more one larger one that I sold last week and then this excellent matching pair! Quilting clamps were are used on a quilting frame to hold fabric