In Miller's (the antiques and collectors price guide bible in the UK) guide to Sewing Accessories by Elaine Gaussen - my edition dated 2001 - the lace bobbins featured are a wire bound wooden one dated as c 1900 price guide �15-20 (US$24-32), ivory inscribed with the name William in dots C 1840 �30-90 ($50-145) and stained ivory c1850 �25-60 ($40-95). Either the author's well out on price or they've dropped considerably since 2001 - quite likely.
The text is "The wooden example has been wired for strength. The ivory bobbin in the centre has been hand-painted. The name 'William' is etched in poker work and was probably the lace maker's child or sweetheart. On the right is another ivory bobbin, this time stained in red, a fashion of the time. Bobbins that were commemorative or carried names are always more expensive than plain ones." I would have thought the strength of a bobbin need to be in the neck, and that wire on the body is purely for decoration. I have bobbins identical to the two "ivory" ones, which I'm absolutely certain are bone. Perhaps this is where ebay sellers get their descriptions from. The only mention of bone is in the chapter heading paragraph "antique bobbins of wood, bone or ivoty, used in pairs to make lace, and commanding high prices when decorated or inscribed". It's a pretty little lightweight book to look at with a lot of examples of needlecraft associated items, but I wouldn't take it's descriptions as necessarily being correct. Jean in Poole - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
