Bone snake

[lespauljames]

Hey fellas, first post, and its a question for dad.
This snake came fomr a house dating back to the 1600's in north devon, But then again, it could be from any period betwwen then and now,  It is a 6"(15cm) bone snake. Presumably a hairpin bit i could be wrong.
what do you think fellas, I'm really stumped on this one as im more of a military guy, and dad is antique bottles.

[greenacres]

How long is it?

[mart]

He said 6 inches !!  I would bet hairpin also !!

[lespauljames]

I appreciate the replies!  any idea on age atall? or the ethnicity of the piece

[greenacres]

Sorry mart didn't see that or I wouldn't have asked. I just wanted to see if it was a pointer to read, but it probably is a hairpin.

[mart]

No problem !! I always overlook stuff !!    I am not familiar with the cultures in the UK but it could possibly date from that era !! I would take it to a museum and have the curator look at it !!

[talesofthesevenseas]

Wow, that is really neat. I think what you may have there is what is known as a bodkin. These are used to thread ribbons, like when you had a ribbon in a ladies collar. These were often gifts that sailors made at sea and brought home for their sweethearts or female family members.  They are usually pretty small and some have a hole or way of attaching the ribbon, but some do not.

[mart]

Could be, Tales !! I am not much up on clothing of that period !!

[talesofthesevenseas]

This one does look like it has the right shape to be a bodkin. The ribbon would be tied around the "neck" right behind the snakes head. See how it narrows slightly there? Then it can easily be passed through the fabric and the ribbon then functions as a drawstring. Ribbon can also be woven in and out of lace collars. These are usually smaller, but sometimes they are made larger for larger things. Yours I think qualifies as a fid due to the size. Fids are used by sailors to loosen knots. You stick the pointy end into a knot and work it loose when a knot gets too tight. They are invaluable on board a ship. Here's a bit about fids and bodkins: http://reviews.ebay.com/The-Difference-Between-Fids-and-Bodkins?ugid=10000000004243324 and some examples:

[KC]

Talesof...thanks!  Couldn't remember the name bodkin!!! 

However, I guess I grew up with the term Bone Stiletto - that was used to do this!  (The ones I knew of were traditionally made of Ox bone).

[mart]

Being raised in the construction business,, I used a sixteen p. nail for that !!

[talesofthesevenseas]

I actually use my little antique bodkins a lot when I sew. They are wonderful little devices, great for loosening tight knots, threading drawstrings, poking holes in cloth and picking up the loop from the bobbin thread, when threading a sewing machine. I've often wondered why they aren't made today and there really is no modern substitute for them.

[frogpatch]

Great bits of info on this thread. That's why I come here to read. Fid! I am convinced that is correct and its a great piece of folk art.

[ghopper1924]

Odds bodkins!

Fascinating stuff!

[greenacres]

I love those bodkins! I've never seen them before.I'll have to really check those out.