Needle case

1820-1860

Place made, possiblyVersailles, France

Straw, wood

Overall: 5 3/8 x 1 in. ( 13.7 x 2.5 cm )

Purchased from Elie Nadelman, 1937

INV.9827ab

This object was once part of the folk art collection of Elie Nadelman (1882-1946), the avant-garde sculptor. From 1924 to 1934, Nadelman's collection was displayed in his Museum of Folk Arts, located in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. The Historical Society purchased Nadelman's entire collection in 1937. Needlecases―also known as needle sheaths or étui―were used to safeguard needles. Unlike embroidered needlebooks, needlecases could be tightly closed to keep steel needles from rusting. Craftsmen made needlecases in a seemingly infinite variety of forms, with countless types of embellishment—glass beadwork and straw marquetry among them. The Nadelmans collected more than two hundred examples of these novelties, which became outmoded with the onset of industrialization.

DescriptionCylindrical wooden needle case in two pieces, the top slides over the collar of the case near the center; there are marquetry scenes of colored straw around the top and the case, of houses lined up side by side.

MarkingsNadelman label on inside of lower section: "1965 / Fr"

ClassificationsSEWING TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

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