Lovely Antique Sailor Made Knotwork Basket French astronomy This lovely old checkerboard-type parquetry

This lovely old checkerboard-type parquetry egg-shaped finial surely once attached to something

uncleaned and a bit dirty

But even if not venturing to try to solve them

but overall excellent condition

It sure seems to me like an actual cannonball

Lovely Antique Sailor Made Knotwork Basket French astronomy This lovely old checkerboard-type parquetryI'm a huge fan of antique sailor made baskets, crafted from fishing twine while out at sea and typically intended as love tokens to be delivered upon return. I love the thought of sailors doing what was essentially macrame in their spare time, and what fine work and lots of labor this one represents. I haven't found a nice example in a long time, and this one is exactly what I look for, very well done, with clean lines, and several different knotting