This one is of the sort that I just find it impossible not to become the caretaker of, for a bit or forever--such a sucker I am for a handwritten note expressing concern about the future of a handmade, sentimental thing! The note as I read it instructs the recipient to keep these for Betsy--"put new ribbon on three stars, and when Betsy graduates, if she lives (!), she can wear her ganmo's (I take this as a grandmother's nickname) three stars given to her by Prof. Andrew Brist (or similar?)  Perhaps it actually says "likes" but it sure looks like "lives" to me--which makes the endurance of the stars with the note still attached seem all the more poetic; perhaps Betsy never did survive to wear them. Or perhaps she did make it to her graduation, wore the ribbon proudly, and saved the note too. Whatever to case, a lovely and special feeling thing, all the more for the loss of a sequin here and there. Beautiful metallic threadwork.

8 3/4" x 3 1/4". A handful of lost sequins and one wants to handle it with a little care, but stable and lovely.