Fancy Antique Hand-stitched Wreath-Like Mat with Velvet Center camel with this great interplay of

with this great interplay of graphics and cutouts on the front diagramming how primaries blend to make secondary colors -- i

containing 48 pages of drawings (filling entire pages)

) So much joy for me in finding objects as invested with the presence of their maker as this one

whittled by hand

and described by the realtor who sold it in 2018 as one of the most iconic and coveted private islands along the Southern Maine coast

Fancy Antique Hand-stitched Wreath-Like Mat with Velvet Center camel with this great interplay ofI love the back of this mat as much as the front, revealing all of the hand stitching involved in its construction. I'm guessing made as a candle mat, with one candle to stand on the black velvet at center (a wonderfully imperfectly shaped circle). Found in Pennsylvania, late 19th c. I would guess. I'd be inclined to hang it on the wall, like a shining star or sun or wreath, but it would also be great at the center of the table. Approx 12" in diameter