A lovely antique sewing clamp in the form of a bird. It has 2 pincushions made from worn purple velvet. One wing is embossed with words & a date but it almost worn away. The design was patented by Charles Waterman of Connecticut, USA in 1853.
The bird itself is a clip which can be used to hold whatever you are working on while sewing, like a third hand. You pinch the tail & the beak opens. The screw mechanism is used to attach it to the edge of a table.
