THE FIRST THIMBLE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 138, 8 December 1938, Page 18

THE FIRST THIMBLE

COSTLY TYPES IN THE EAST

The history of ordinary every-day articles makes most interesting reading, and even the humble thimble has quite a "past." The modern thimble dates from 1684, when a goldsmith, Nicholas Renchoteen, of Amsterdam, sent one as a birthday present to a lady friend, with the dedication, "To my jrau Van Rensclaer, this little object, which I have invested and executed as a protective covering for her industrious fingers."

The invention proved such a success that all who saw the thimble tried to obtain one, and the goldsmith had enough to do to supply them. An Englishman named John Lotting brought a specimen home with him, and made many thousand copies of it.

At first thimbles were rather costly, and only well-to-do people could afford them, but afterwards, when made of lead and other common metals by machinery, they became very cheap. Their use came as a great relief to all who had much sewing to do.

The Dutch finger-hat, or finger-hood, became in England the "thumb-bell," from its bell-like shape. It was originally worn on the thumb to parry the thrust of the needle.

Some of the thimbles of the Far East are very costly. Wealthy Chinese ladies have thimbles carved out of mother-of-pearl, and sometimes the top is formed of a single precious stone. Thimbles with an agate or onyx mounted in gold are often seen, as well as thimbles en -rusted with rubies.

The Queen of Siam has a thimble in the form of a lotus bird, with her name exquisitely worked in tiny diamonds round the margin.