Poetic (and Anthropomorphic) 19th Century Wooden Bootjack with Hanging Hole Worn Through antique wrought iron tender thing I think

tender thing I think

and as if battered by wind and perhaps some sea-spray too

I love this trench art matchbox cover as a study in mark making

and travelers (and the prototype of Father Christmas)--is especially popular in Eastern Orthodox icons

) feel that present and palpable

Poetic (and Anthropomorphic) 19th Century Wooden Bootjack with Hanging Hole Worn Through antique wrought iron tender thing I thinkFound in southern Maine this week, I think this is really beautiful, and quite poetic, too. It is a 19th century bootjack, which was used so much that the hanging hole at the narrow end wore all the way through, leaving that open curve. I love the primitive elegance of the resulting form, which also reads like a body, arms (or open mouth, or claw) extending from one end, legs from the other. And turn it over, there's a face! The wood itself shows a