Wonderful c. Mid 19th Century Whaler Made Scrimshaw Ladies Leg Bodkin theorem embroidery all open 17 5/8” long

all open 17 5/8” long x 7 1/4" wide

with the manner of the hand-painted numbers telling us that

really)  all over his back

Medium in size--8" across and 3 3/8" tall--it's in good condition

Wonderful c. Mid 19th Century Whaler Made Scrimshaw Ladies Leg Bodkin theorem embroidery all open 17 5/8” longI splurged a bit on this one by my standards, purchased from an longtime New England dealer, but I didn't think twice: what a wonderful example of a folk art scrimshaw bodkin, which would have been made by a whaler sailor as a gift to bring home to a sweetheart. Bodkins were once common implements, used for making lace, threading ribbon or cord through fabric casings necklines, waistbands, etc and more. I've seen some fancy ones around these parts,