One Gross Pen Wipers, As Found Box of Antique Leather Pen Wipes Benjamin Harnett painting perfectly folded over top

perfectly folded over top

has holes all around the perimeter that would have been threaded with twine or yarn in order to keep the slate from banging on the surface of a school desk--thus chalkboards like this are often called "silent" chalkboards

provided the sun is out

2" wide at base

and I believe they were often displayed on hotel bars

One Gross Pen Wipers, As Found Box of Antique Leather Pen Wipes Benjamin Harnett painting perfectly folded over topI've never come across a box of these before, nor had the dealer I purchased them from, who has seen just about everything! I did just happen (scrolling through ebay) to come across a tiny naive watercolor, mid 19th c., painted on a round of leather just like one of these making me think, as does the packaging, that this box full is about that old. I just love this as a found object, with excellent green paper "Penwipers" label on plain cardboard box