Thimble

Date1780-1820

MediumSilver, carnelian (identified by eye)

DimensionsOL 1 in.

Credit LineAnonymous gift.

Object number1971-3403,3

DescriptionThis is a silver thimble with a red colored stone, likely a carnelian, set at the top. The thimble has a band of circular indentations at the top and a decorative band with flowers below. There is a raised shield on one side. The thimble has a slight lip at the base.
Label TextThimbles are worn to protect the index finger while sewing, and often included decorative bands or colored stone. Thimbles were usually imported, but by the early 19th century, thimble factories were advertised in the United States. The "Kentucky Gazette" boasted in 1815 that "a thimble manufactory has been established in Cincinnati. The thimbles made at this Factory are neater, and is said, will wear better than those which are imported."
ProvenancePrior to 1971, anonymous donor; 1971, given to The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA)