Beautiful Old Carved Wooden Dibbler Chinese ming but when I purchased this

but when I purchased this one at an antiques store in New Hampshire was told that with bristles this long it is actually a clothes brush

and decorated on the underside

as pictured--not visible from the front and no real matter--it remains sturdy and sound

and nicely aged and worn

Beautiful Old Carved Wooden Dibbler Chinese ming but when I purchased thisThough it could double as a very elegant wooden toy gun, this is an old dibbler, used for making holes in the soil for planting seeds or seedlings. I find the form really beautiful, together with the way the wear progresses toward the point, and it's got a really nice weight and feel in the hand. Definitely useful still, but really nice just to look at. 10 x 5 x 1 5 16 and in very good, beautifully used condition. Stands up (or balances on the curve)