Charming 19th C. Japanese School Child's Semamori Embroidery Practice Booklet midcentury art I'd guess is it pretty

I'd guess is it pretty old and there is a bit of roughness to the wood in a few spots on the reaming end

It was definitely made quite a long time ago—the aging to the painted surface is just gorgeous—and

Heavy and substantial

making a vertical grid

Charming 19th C. Japanese School Child's Semamori Embroidery Practice Booklet midcentury art I'd guess is it prettyPurchased from a dealer in Japan, this one is completely after my heart the work of a schoolchild learning to embroider, and specifically to embroider "semamori"emblems of protection, amulets of sorts, made to be sewn into kimono, especially those of children, warding off evil spirits. So this is sort of like a sampler, sort of like a child's sewing lessons book (for practicing seams, button holes, etc.), and with the feel of a Froebel kindergarten