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Offering this wonderful antique Victorian early rare figural pen wipe with mice.
Wool soft cotton stuffed tiny mice with jet black beaded eyes lay on a bed of felted pieces used as a pen wipe.
Chain stitched detail with layers of felt connected.
Antique pen wipes were an indispensable staple of the 19th and early 20th-century writing desk, designed to clean wet ink and paper fibers from the delicate metal or quill nibs of dip pens.
Before the mid-20th-century rise of the modern ballpoint pen rendered them obsolete, these small desk accessories prevented acidic ink from drying, clogging, or corroding expensive writing nibs. Over time, they evolved from purely utilitarian scraps of cloth into highly decorative, whimsical collector's items.The Evolution of the Pen WipeThe Utilitarian Era (Early 1800s): When mass-produced steel-nib dip pens rose in popularity across Europe and America, keeping a cloth handy became a necessity. Writers early on realized that black flannel, broadcloth, or felt were the best materials, as other colors quickly became unsightly and spoiled by ink stains.
A whimsical Victorian utilitarian folk art cloth treasure.
Please see pictures for details and measurements
