Name/Title
Greeting Card and Dance Card PencilEntry/Object ID
2001.5.31 A-BDescription
White Christmas greeting card and dance card pencil. The top left corner of the card features a depiction of holly branches tied together with a red ribbon. The bottom right corner of the card features the words “Christmas Greetings” in green ink. A white ribbon, used to hold the pencil, is attached to the center of the card. The dance card pencil is metal and has a ribbed design on most of its body. The word "Sterling" is engraved near the end where the lead goes.Use
Although this card is unsigned, it may have been given as a Christmas gift with the attached dance card pencil. Dance card pencils were reusable devices carried by women in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to balls and other social events that involved dancing. These ornate metal pencils were attached directly around the user's wrist or to the dance card one received at the beginning of the event. A dance card was specific to the evening, listing the different dances or song titles to be played. Using the pencil, a woman could write the name of each partner with whom she planned to dance beside the individual songs or dances. These cards, while functional, also served as a keepsake of the evening.Dimensions
Dimension Description
A - Pencil - 4" x 2.25"
B - Card - 0.25" x 2.75"Material
Paper, Ribbon, Metal
