Don't you just love Child's possessions that can give us a peek into their past revealing what life was like long ago. With this in mind I am presenting this next offering that is not only charming but has a primitive flare as well.
I was able to find an old slate that was once used in a school house... I'm thinking a red one of course! This slate does have a crack in the upper left hand corner that is visible on the back as shown in image 21. The wooden frame used to secure this piece of slate was held together with a small mortise ~ style construction on the end of all the corners which allows for a snug fit. As shown in image 22, there is a small area that is darker than the rest of the slate. A square area on the frame at the bottom is also a little darker in appearance then the rest of the wood.
There is an inference of a child at play, using a pencil, happily scribbling obscure letters at the top of the wooden frame located on the backside. Sweet! A convenient hole can be used to hang this slate if you wish.
The next item I added are a pair of adorable Mary Jane style leather baby shoes. They sport decorative cut outs with a complimentary color of nutmeg brown against a warm tan ground, as best shown in images 3 & 6. A cute brown shoe button holds the strap in place with ease on each shoe.
This adorable pair of shoes has dark wear on the front near the toes and also on the heels. The leather is very soft and supple. Image 4 shows a small amount of color loss indicated by two tiny spots near the inside back of the shoe as well as near the sole. The same holds true for the left shoe near the heel. The minor amount of creases and cracks in the leather obtained by shoes this old does not surprise me and is consistent wear. I just can't believe that everyone's feet were this tiny at one point in time!
I added brown tissue paper inside each shoe so they would keep their shape better. A piece of calico was antiqued and covers this paper stuffing while adding nice primitive detail as well as color. The brown soles don't seem to have allot of wear but of course things were made to last in those days!!
In keeping with this theme I found a wonderful Child's school book entitled, "A Treatise On the Structure of the English Language or The Analysis of Classification" published in Philadelphia by, "Cowperthwait & Co." and was chosen for the rich deep nutmeg color it lends! The book is in good condition with some expected wear to the licorice black spine. All pages are accounted for and this 19th century book does have a date of publication as shown in image 19 but I can't make out the last two numbers.
A simple spray of sweet Annie and flax were tucked in the roving wool that holds the slate and book together. If you happen to have a child's chair this piece would grace the seat with charming results or would hold magical interest on a lap top desk as well. An offering such as this will really add some whimsy to your homestead that can certainly be appreciated by all! Enjoy!
The slate stands 9 3/4" Tall, 7 3/4" across & is a little over 1/8" thick. The old English book measures 7 1/4" Tall, 4 3/4" across & is about 3/4" thick. The baby shoes are 4 1/2" Long, 2" @ the widest point near the toes and measure 1 3/4" @ the tallest point near the strap.
