Posted 12 years ago
Sunnyii
(1 item)
Hi... I'm looking for more information on a pin cushion that belonged to my great-great-grandmother. I think it dates back to the first world war but that's really nothing more than an educated guess because I found some websites on sweetheart pin cushions that wounded soldiers from WW1 used to make while they were recovering. If anyone has seen anything like this before I'd love to learn more about it! The white thing in the third picture is a letter-sized envelope... Its the only thing I had within arms reach that I could show size with.
Soldier sweetheart valentine cushion. It's probably about 7 inches across. It was a love token either given to the soldier or to the sweetheart. It was also meant to be a good luck token as well. If they returned it remained a treasured item within the home. It was not unusual for them to be framed and handed down the family line.
Looks like two shades of velvet and applied with numerous coloured glass beads and pearls. Lace trimmed? Is the back plain cotton? It would be usually stuffed with straw or wood shavings.
What is really nice about this one is that there are four Stevengraphs.
They normally might have just one or two.
Your photos only allow me to recognize one of the four figures: the English King Edward VII who reigned from 1901 to 1910. He is at the bottom of each of the photos. The other figures will give you more information about the date.
Check out this site to identify the figures:
http://www.stevengraphs.com/worwar1pos.html
It might even date to the Second Boer War 1900-1902.
There's lucky seven on the horse shoe. It's a bit of a worry though it is upside down and luck would drip out. The anchor is a symbol of hope.
Thanks for the information vetraio50, much appreciated. True about the horseshoe direction, what an oversight! My grandmother has the pin cushion at her house so I'll have to take a closer look at the other stevengraphs next time I'm over. I know my great-great grandfather fought in WW1 but I'm pretty sure he enlisted underage so would have been way too young for the Second Boer War.
The front and back are made from what looks like leather and its stuffed very full, the leather (?) is still tight with no dimples or sags. The trim is made from lace, as you say. I never noticed the lucky 7 before, thanks for pointing that out.