Mary Webster's 1826 Hand-drawn Head-of-Her-Class Reward of Merit systems of the body it was hot

it was hot

but here it's this beautiful nailed on extra layer of mend/reinforcement (actually an extra layer on each side) straight down its center

and the horses

and something that feels kind of like a small hot water bottle inside the torso

Mary Webster's 1826 Hand-drawn Head-of-Her-Class Reward of Merit systems of the body it was hotUnderstated but lovely, and a rare, early handmade reward of merit, dated 1826, which declares that Mary Webster "has gained the head of her class by diligence and good attention." One guesses the Laura Webster who signed it was likely the recipient's mother, so how much competition there was for the top spot is unknown! I really love the carefully line drawn border, and flowers and suns at the corners, the color on which has much faded over 200