Porcelain thimble Obernai town centre

Porcelain thimble  decorated with  the Town Center of Obernai , a  Nest of Storks from Alsace  and an  Alsatian , Alsace and Obernai marking 

A thimble is a small, often cylindrical object in which the fingertip is inserted to protect it from the sewing needle, usually the middle or ring finger.

In sewing, it serves as a case to protect the fingers when using a sewing needle.

• Height 2.7 cm
• Diameter: 2.3 cm

The thimble has its origins in Antiquity. The earliest examples, often made of bronze or bone, date back to the Roman Empire and were used to make sewing easier. 

Their use spread in the Middle Ages, when they began to be made of metal and to adopt more elaborate shapes. 

Over the centuries, thimbles have become not only practical tools, but also objects of art and collectors' items, usually decorated with engravings or cultural motifs, such as the famous Alsatian thimble.