MODERN WRITING AND DRAWING EQUIPMENT

A cast lead alloy pencil sharpener. Probably 19th century. Hollow with a slight lip to the base. 6 sided body. The back has "NA" embossed in large letters along the side. The front has a long narrow rectangular gap from the base to the top edge. This reveals that the lead has been cast with an iron plate at each edge of the gap, which would have been sharp enough to sharpen the pencil. The sides of the pencil extend upwards to create the head, leaving a gap with scalloped sides. The outside edge has scroll-like curve at the botton, and tapers up in a series of 3 small arches. A small circular hole lies at the centre of the head. The head is embodssed with lines demarking the scallop-like decoration. On the front, in the centre of the head, is a small embossed square outline with two letters inside. These letters are difficult to decipher but may be chinese symbols. According to Wikipedia "Bernard Lassimone, a French mathematician, applied for the first patent (French patent #2444) on pencil sharpeners in 1828. In 1847, Therry des Estwaux invented the manual pencil sharpener".