Rope dog collar
This collar was made by a sailor, who gained practical knowledge of ropework through his work on board ships. Most sailors were not able to read or write and had more skill with a needle than the pen. So some would make good use of their free time by making decorative rope work in the form of bell pulls, key keeps or dog collars like this one.
Other handicrafts sailors spent their time doing included scrimshaw (engraved bone or teeth) and ships-in-bottles. To find out more about decorative rope work, scrimshaw or ships-in-bottles visit the Merseyside Maritime Museum. You can also see some of the highlights of the museum's Dashwood-Howard collection on this website. Accession number MMM1981.886 In this section |
