Lovely Antique Sailor Made Knotwork Basket antique printers plante ) The push lever at

)  The push lever at center pushes them toward each other

to the somewhat mysterious object at bottom right--which at first I took for a pie straight from the oven

What a tender hand hold between them

but wonders never cease

I noticed there is a tiny split in the wood that runs down the center of the face side of the shovel end

Lovely Antique Sailor Made Knotwork Basket antique printers plante ) The push lever atI'm a huge fan of antique sailor made baskets, crafted from fishing twine while out at sea and typically intended as love tokens to be delivered upon return. I love the thought of sailors doing what was essentially macrame in their spare time, and what fine work and lots of labor this one represents. I haven't found a nice example in a long time, and this one is exactly what I look for, very well done, with clean lines, and several different knotting