4 FOR THE SAKE OF PRICKED FINGERS

The thimble has been around for as long as people have pushed needle through cloth. Used to protect the nger doing the pushing, thimbles were historically produced in metalworking areas, with Nuremberg dominating from the mid 1500s until the Dutch took over a hundred years later. Porcelain thimbles were rst produced by Meissen and gradually introduced by English makers. By the 18th century, Worcester, Derby and Chelsea were making decorative ceramic thimbles as gifts and souvenirs. These examples were made by Wedgwood during the late 20th century.