Rogers Series 11: Needles, bodkins, and their cases
Series 11. A fish-shaped needle case made of bone, dyed red, and featuring a Stanhope viewer.
Steel sewing needles became common first in Asia and then throughout Europe, being produced in England by 1650. Needles were handmade and expensive until the early-1800s invention of needle-making machines; to avoid losing them, sewers stored needles in cases for bodkins, large needle-like tools used to thread cord through pre-punched holes. Bodkin cases gave way to needle cases, which were still manufactured and used even after the advent of needle-making machines led to cheaper needles. Both types of cases were usually small and delicate, made out of materials like wood, tortoiseshell, or bone, and elaborately carved, beaded, or painted to show phrases or patterns.
This series contains the following subseries: miniature needle books and boxes, needle cases, needle books, bodkin cases, and bodkins and ribbon threaders. A few of the needle cases in this series have Stanhope viewers, small glass viewers near the top of the cases that when eyed closely show tourist attractions; these were relatively common in 19th century needle cases.聽
While many needle books were handmade, the majority of needle books in this series were manufactured from materials like ivory or filigree silver. Most still contain needles that the original owner likely used for their work.
The miniature needle box subseries includes brass, wooden, leather, and other containers of various shapes; there are square boxes and also a crab, a floral basket, and the Arc de Triomphe. These, like bodkins and ribbon threaders, were often souvenirs commemorating historical events or carrying messages.