Vintage Collectible Souvenir Thimble Fine Bone China RED LION BIRCHCROFT

Description

Today I have up for consideration a Vintage - Collectors Thimble
.
This Thimble is 1-1/8" tall & 7/8" diameter at the base. This piece is made of Fine Bone China. This Thimble Features a Red Lion.
T
his piece is marked:  Birchcroft Fine Bone China
History of Thimbles
A thimble is a small hard pitted cup worn for protection on the finger that pushes the needle in sewing
. Usually, thimbles with a closed top are used by dressmakers but special thimbles with an opening at the end are used by tailors as this allows them to manipulate the cloth more easily. Finger guards differ from tailors’ thimbles in that they often have a top but are open on one side. Some finger guards are little more than a finger shield attached to a ring to maintain the guard in place. The Old English word
þȳmel
, the ancestor of thimble, is derived from Old English
þūma
, the ancestor of our word thumb. Collecting thimbles became popular in the UK when many companies made special thimbles to commemorate the  Great Exhibition
held in the Crystal Palace
in Hyde Park, London
. In the 19th century, many thimbles were made from silver
; however, it was found that silver is too soft a metal and can be easily punctured by most needles. Today you will see Thimbles made from Porcelain, Glass & Pewter.
The History of Birchcroft Thimbles
Birchcroft China
is now established as the largest manufacturer of Fine China Thimbles in the world. The company is still very much a family-run business, which was founded by Tony Forbes about 30 years ago. Initially, thimbles were produced for the souvenir market and between 1985-1995 over a million thimbles were made per year for places as far afield as Australia, Africa, Canada, Europe and the USA. The Birchcroft name became well-known among thimble collectors around the world, and due to the demand, a collectors' club was founded which now has many thousands of members. Most thimbles are limited editions of 500 sets or fewer and have become extremely
collectible
, with early editions making high prices at auction.
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Package weight: 1- LB
Weight includes the item, box, bubble wrap & packing materials.
NOTE: I DO NOT set the shipping cost – that is done by the USPS!! Shipping cost is based on location & the weight of the package! PLEASE review the shipping cost BEFORE you buy!
I pack all fragile pieces well, however these pieces are VERY FRAGILE & I have no control on how packages are handled after they leave my possession. If something does break during delivery I will request pictures of the broken item(s) before I will offer a refund.
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