A Scottish Mauchline ware souvenir thimble case of sloping f...

A Scottish Mauchline ware souvenir thimble case of sloping form, the hinged cover finely transfer-printed with a view of the castellated Tower of Refuge standing on Conister Rock in Douglas Bay, inscribed beneath ‘TOWER OF REFUGE, ISLE OF MAN’, the case is formed from pale wood, probably sycamore, with an amber-coloured varnished surface, rounded front and sloping lid, fitted with a small decorative brass hinge and simple swivel closure, the interior is recessed and lined with dark fabric to accommodate the accompanying thimble, containing a Charles Horner ‘Dorcas’ thimble, with densely dimpled working surface and plain polished border, stamped CH / 6 / DORCAS, for Charles Horner of Halifax, size 6 Horner’s celebrated Dorcas thimbles were constructed with a hardened steel core protected by layers of silver, combining the appearance of a silver thimble with considerably greater resistance to penetration and wear The Tower of Refuge was erected on Conister Rock in Douglas Bay in 1832 at the instigation of Sir William Hillary, founder of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, as a sanctuary for mariners shipwrecked upon the dangerous rocks surrounding Douglas. Its picturesque castellated appearance made it one of the best-known landmarks of the Isle of Man and a popular subject for 19th-century tourist souvenirs. Mauchline ware takes its name from the Ayrshire town of Mauchline, which became the principal centre for the manufacture of transfer-decorated wooden souvenir wares during the 19th century

Estimate:£40

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