This red leather lap desk has brass hinges and pressed brass side handles. A brass name plate is centered on the sloped top engraved with the name "Mrs. E. B. Brinckerhoff". Inside under the lid is a red leather document pouch attached to the lid. The sloped base has a felt covered writing surface that folds down. At the top are two square pockets; one to hold pen nibs and the other an inkwell. An oblong-shaped pocket with a wood lid is designed to hold pens.
Bodkin of bone is a flattened needle with one rounded end and one end with a blunt point. Slot of 5/8" in length is cut into body near rounded end. This tool is used for threading ribbons, etc. through casings, fabric tubes or loops.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Bodkin of steel is a blunt needle used for threading ribbons, tape or other fabric through casings, loops, etc.
Bodkin is two thin pieces of tapered steel that are laminated together through half their length at narrow end. Two pieces at wider end are separated, allowing a ribbon or other material to be fitted into "jaws" and clamped in place via a sliding mechanism fitted into slot that extends lenthwise toward jaws. Jaws are enabled to hold material without slipping via two raised beads stamped into one side and two matching holes on other side.
Stamped onto one side of tool at midsection is "PATD. MAR. 29. 92."
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Ribbon threader or bodkin is a blade of nickel-plated non-ferrous metal, in a torpedo shape, wide and rounded at one end and tapering to a point at other end. Two slots are cut in wide end for stringing ribbon that needs to be threaded through casings in waistbands, wristbands, etc.
Stamped inscriptions: On one side of tool is "RIBBON THEADER", "REGISTERED", "No. 3", AND "K.B.C.".
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Hand-painted porcelain bowl. Chinese export porcelain. Central medallion painted inside bottom. Decorative border around inner edge of boal. Entire exterior of bowl painted in multi-color designs, scenes containing figures, flowers, birds. Similar to 4 saucers.
Provenance
Bowl owned by Harriet Lane Johnston, then descent within family to donor.
Oval-shaped bowl with lid. On 1 inch base or foot with 2 gold-painted handles and indentation for spoon. Lid also has indentation for spoon. Large mushroom shaped gold painted finial. Detailed and multi-colored birds, flowers,a foliage on outer surfaces of bowl and lid. chinese export porcelain.
Provenance
Bowl owned by Harriet Lane Johnston, then descent within family to donor.
One of 16 glass finger bowls. Frosted glass except where clear shield near the upper rolled edge. Shallow bowl with slightly convex bottom on inside. Shield design is etched with an engraved old English letter 'J'. Eight-point star impressed into center of bowl's exterior base.
Asian Design Sugar Bowl Owned by Harriet Lane Johnston
Description
Majolica tin glazed earthenware sugar bowl. Compressed-round bowl with very short neck and low foot ring. Domed fitted lid with finial of inverted acorn shape. Bowl and lid both hand-painted with decoration on pale greenish yellow color, with faint wispy vining branches done with delicate brush strokes and daubs of ochre for leaves. Additional decoration of larger scale flowers or flower clusters and a moth-like insect. Rim painted ochre as well as a band on pedestal with two stripes.
Underside of base has very stylized hand-painted cockerel mark. This bowl has same decoration as 2014.002.17&.18. Attributed to the Cantagalli family pottery factory in Florence, Italy - likely the period when Ulisse Cantagalli succeeded his father in 1878 and started to produce highly decorative Italian ceramics in the Renaissance style. This pottery style was hugely popular at this time in English-speaking countries. Ulisse died in 1901 but his family continued the business.
Provenance: Bowl owned by Harriet Lane, then descent within family to donor.
Provenance
Sugar bowl owned by Harriet Lane Johnston, then descent within family to donor.
Sugar bowl with lid, hard-paste eathenware has white clay body hand-decorated with cobalt blue. Squat, bulbous body sits on foot ring; pot-belly sides have a large beaded shoulder leading to a narrowed neck and finishing with an outward flaring rim w/ coggled edge. Four or five blue bands painted while on the wheel and remainder painted freehand. Bulbous section alternates with two different leaf designs suspended from the blue-painted shoulder bead. Large round dots are spaced between each leaf. Coggled edge is blue and top of rim has a leaf form painted in two rows. The domed lid has a bee skep finial painted blue, a wide blue strip at botom edge of lid and four leaves in mid-section of same two designs as on bulbous body. Clear glaze over all.
Small "S" impressed underneath at side, perhaps signifying the potter.
Good 3/8" long chip at coggled rim edge showing a very white clay which suggest a later date. Wear and soil at bottom and soil scattered over entire piece. Overall crazing.
Object ID
G.81.7
Credit
Gift of Florence Starr Taylor in memory of Annie Mottern Taylor, Heritage Center Collection
Sketch box made of brown alligator skin / leather over wood. Flat rectangular base w/ raised section at right end has two sunken containers. Top one is oval with ornate raised decoration on hinged silver(?) lid; beaded oval trim at base marked "PAT. March. 25.90." Oval well lined with suede. Lower container has alligator-covered round hinged lid leading to another hinged metal lid leading to a small ink jar within.
Place of origin is unknown.
Large part is a padded alligator-covered lid hinged at top. Underside of lid has pouches of light brown leather. Writing/sketching surface has a blue paper blotter secured by leather corners. Leather loop at hinge holds a metal pen decorated with raised beaded rings.
Inscription on underside is pencil script: "From Charles / Xmas 1890". Alongside is a sticker with name and address of donor.
Provenance
Donor acquired this and many other Mifflin pieces from the Mifflin estate and, then donated it to the Heritage Center in 1995.
The alligator skin and leather are cracked, especially along the spine and bottom of the folder. The box with the two compartments is uneven on the top. The lid of the oval shaped compartment is tarnished, and the snap is broken. The ink jar is staine
Object ID
G.95.36.2
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Lamar L. Libhart, Heritage Center Collection
Box of mourning pins. Paper matchbox covered in dark gray paper has top, fitted lid with a paper label. Label is priinted with scrolls at corners and a football shaped reserve at center has "80 MOURNING PINS / ASST / Germany." Black head pins with blue shafts within. Less than half this number remain.
Used for securing black clothing such as veils and hats during the time of mourning a death.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Needle case of turned hardwood (maple?). Cylindrical body was turned in two pieces and strong chamfers at each blunt ends. Center band of glossy black with three scored lines at midpoint. Ends also painted black with a score line on each. Additional daubs of black paint on unpainted body.
Cylinder is hollow for holding needles. One third of body pulls off like a cap, sliding off a male extension of the 2/3 section. No contents.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Needle case of cast silver is a square-bodied long container that tapers from one end to the other. Made of 2 pieces, the thickest end is the cap that fits on a male extension of the main body. The length of each side of case is constructed of identical cast pieces of silver with a soldered seam still visible.
Decorated with low-relief roses on cap; grapevine and football shape are on main body. Small panels on narrower sides have a slogan in German: "ZUM / ANDENKEN / KEINE ROSEN / OHNE DORNEN" which translates as a warning to not prick one's self with the needle. Literally, it states "Remember (there are) no roses without thorns."
Possibly Germany
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Needle and pin case in sun bonnet form with off-white finely woven sheer cotton or silk. Rigid visor of light cardboard is covered with fabric and folds at top. Cap section is gathered at neck. Trimmed with four pink satin bows and a strawberry of emory covered with silk and embroidery on short string at crown. Metal snap closure inside visor.
Interior of visor has attached strip of twill wool with sawtooth edge. Pins and needles are inserted and stored in this fabric.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Needle book of printed heavy paper containing 32 needles, folded to resemble a book. Advertising item lists coal business on inside.
White printed covers have four children in 19th c. clothing on the front and four on the back. They are all involved sewing activities. Front cover at top reads "SEWING SOCIETY/ NEEDLE BOOK" and at bottom is "Egg shaped eyes/ -And swelled centre."
Verse on back cover reads "In Your Time Of Need-/ It is Needless to look for Any Thing/ BETTER THAN ME." At the bottom is "OUR NEEDLES/ ARE THE BEST." Donor's sticker with "Kiker" is at bottom corner.
Inside covers printed in red on brown-colored paper. Paper packet of 3/9 needles affixed to left side; pasted to right side is a swatch of dark loose-weave fabric displaying an arrangement of seven variously sized needles.
Near bottom is printed "Manufactured to Order by J.A. COATES & SONS, Limited." and below this is "ORRIN O. WARE./ GENERAL MERCHANDISE."
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Needle book of printed heavy paper containing needles, folded to resemble a book. Advertising item lists coal business on inside.
White printed covers have four children in 19th c. clothing on the front and four on the back. They are all involved in sewing activities. Front cover at top reads "SEWING SOCIETY/ NEEDLE BOOK" and at bottom is "Egg shaped eyes/ -And swelled centre."
Verse on back cover reads "In Your Time Of Need-/ It is Needless to look for Any Thing/ BETTER THAN ME." At the bottom is "OUR NEEDLES/ ARE THE BEST."
Inside covers printed in red on brown-colored paper. Paper packet of 1/6 needles affixed to left side; pasted to right side is a swatch of dark loose-weave fabric displaying an arrangement of six variously sized needles (large center on is missing and the 3rd from left is broken).
Near bottom is printed "Manufactured to Order by J.A. COATES & SONS, Limited." and below this is "ORRIN O. WARE./ GENERAL MERCHANDISE."
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Paper slightly buckled with darkening along bottom section or interior. Slight wear at edges with minor dogear damage at bottom corners. Short tear at bottom fold of book. Short fold line extends near top at fold of book. Small dent at middle of right edge of back cover. Center needle missing, one at left of center is broken.
Object ID
G.05.15.12
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
Asian Design Compote Owned by Harriet Lane Johnston
Description
Majolica tin glazed earthenware compote. Round dish with serpentine rim mounted on a short pedestal base. Hand-painted decoration is pale greenish yellow color overall with delicate vining branches done with delicate brush strokes and daubs of ochre for leaves. Additional decoration of larger scale flowers or flower clusters and a moth-like insect; Three larger flowers at center. Rim painted ochre as well as bands of ochre on pedestal, along with striping,
Underside of pedestal base has abstract hand-painted mark quite different from the expected cockerel mark, although this dish otherwise matches 2014.002.18. Nevertheless attributed to the Cantagalli family pottery factory in Florence, Italy - likely the period when Ulisse Cantagalli succeeded his father in 1878 and started to produce highly decorative Italian ceramics in the Renaissance style. This pottery style was hugely popular at this time in English-speaking countries. Ulisse died in 1901 but his family continued the business.
Provenance: Dish owned by Harriet Lane Johnston, then descent within family to donor.
Provenance
Compote owned by Harriet Lane Johnston, then descent within family to donor.
Butter crock, stoneware, blue-gray ground with cobalt floral decoration. Lip is 7/8 inch high with scored decorative rings below. Applied handle at each side near top.
Clarke Hess says this crock is known "in the trade" as a cake crock.
Several cracks: one extends 2 1/4 inches down from lip to exterior air bubble on surface, one extends down side from top to bottom (especially visible at lip and exterior. Crazing over much of surface. Salts visible at lip, inside and outside
Object ID
G.04.23.07
Credit
Gift of Sarah Muench, Heritage Center Collection, LancasterHistory.org
Miniature cruet set of four bottles and caddy, clear glass and non-ferrous base metal.
Four tall vial-like, clear glass bottles, one with its metal cap. Bottles appear to be mold-blown, cylindrical and have a pronounced ring extending outward at mid point, a long narrowing neck and flared lip. Bottles fit into a rotating metal carrying ring at midpoint of caddy, suspended by their glass protruding ring. An oval ring handle on stem with threaded end fits into female-threaded pedestal base which flares out toward bottom.
A raised letter "W" appears twice underneath base.
Provenance
Descent to Sarah Muench from family, perhaps her Aunt Alice Potter Fordney, an antiques dealer.
