Very Naive 19th Century New England Alphabet Sampler with Zig Zag on (Equally Expressive) Homespun tattooed woman perhaps covering earlier versions--original to

perhaps covering earlier versions--original to it I am sure

which I am guessing indicates this was either painted at or previously owned by Wellesley College

which focuses attention all the more so on those handles

My guess is that this piece dates to the second half of the 19th century--based both upon looking at a lot of other wooden pull toys

Four of six sides shown

Very Naive 19th Century New England Alphabet Sampler with Zig Zag on (Equally Expressive) Homespun tattooed woman perhaps covering earlier versions--original toSo many different sorts of samplers to love, for different reasons. As far as alphabet samplers go (simple ones like this are also called marking samplers), I see a lot of lovely early examples around New England, with precisely embroidered, densely packed letters marching along perfectly straight lines, and I do very much admire them. But much less often do I come across an example as naive, and so, as expressive, as this one. And I think small ones