Subtle But Amazing c. 1900 Dutch Darning Sampler with 60 Plus Darnings Arviat carving which I imagine him doing

which I imagine him doing on a leisurely afternoon at the track

who seems a much needed presence and herald at the moment

with his wings and

My guess is that he was meant to represent Uncle Sam

I believe likely for a carnival game--and indeed it is quite a performative thing to toss these heavy things

Subtle But Amazing c. 1900 Dutch Darning Sampler with 60 Plus Darnings Arviat carving which I imagine him doingI purchased this one from a seller in the Netherlands who deals a lot in darning samplers, and from whom I've bought a couple of others in the past. She used "wow!" to describe this one, c. 1900, and I have to agree I've never see one packed with as many darnings as this. That itself speaks to this one cloth have been worked for many many many hours, with each darning beginning as a cut puncture to the cloth, which the darning would then mend. A wide