Ancient Rome, c. 1st-3rd century AD. A fantastic and rare Roman bronze "palm thimble." Most commonly used by sailmakers and leather workers. It was tied around the hand and tucked into the palm, and used by setting the eye end of a needle against the recessed end, and pushing the needle using the entire arm. This allowed the sewer to use a great amount of force without hurting the hand while pushing a thick needle through tough materials like leather, canvas or sail cloth.
Condition: Very Fine

Weight: 19,3 gram
Diameter: 33,2 mm