Tiny leather shoe & child’s thimble

This very rare child’s thimble case is from the Victorian era and is made of the softest leather, with a part silk lining. It includes an inset piece of silk gauze exquisitely painted with a pansy face. The gold embossing around the frame includes the word ‘souvenir’. Complete with a pretty silver thimble, this is the kind of Treasure that makes my day.

The shoe measures 3in (almost 8cm) long.

A thimble is something I rarely use myself but I like the look of them. I have collected them for over 30 years, although only in a very small way. They go so far back in our history, they must be one of the few tools that has changed very little over the centuries.