Item is a shaving brush, likely from the late 1800s. The wooden handle is carved with a simple geometric design and narrows in the center, setting off the top portion, which is textured and painted black. The bristles shooting up from the hollowed-out handle are bent from use, and a patch of them is missing, revealing a layer of glue that was used to hold them in place. There is evidence that the base of the handle was painted yellow at one point before the color chipped away. Shaving brushes like this one were used to lather soap around the face before shaving.
