RARE POLYCHROME
WHALEBONE HORNBOOK

American, circa 1820–1840

A rare American child’s hornbook fashioned from a thin panel of whalebone. The alphabet is boldly rendered in alternating rows of red and black, terminating in floral device. Its distinctive form includes a scalloped upper edge and a rounded handle pierced for suspension. The hornbook would have been hung around a child’s neck in the classroom. Although it hung upside down when suspended, the alphabet became properly oriented when the child lifted and tilted it upward to read. The wear to the first row of letters likely resulted from repeated handling in precisely this manner.

An unusually colorful and evocative survival of early American childhood and education, retaining a warm, naturally aged surface and compelling evidence of its original use.

Superb condition, about 3 ¾ inches tall. From a fine New Hampshire collection acquired from Stephen-Douglas...