Old Hand-knotted Small Ball, Presumed Sailor Made Boat Fender (?) wooden clappers Mid 19th century or so

Mid 19th century or so New England

with the instruction that on fair days the woman should be turned into the sun

just amazed by the fineness of their incised decoration

along with some good moodiness

Old Hand-knotted Small Ball, Presumed Sailor Made Boat Fender (?) wooden clappers Mid 19th century or soI just love the look of this old ball, which I believe holds cork inside the hand knotted macrame exterior, made like a boat fender, though perhaps just as a whimsy as I'm not entirely sure a fender this small would be useful (?). Whatever the case, it definitely feels sailor made to me, reminding me a lot of sailor made knot work baskets I've had, and it definitely has a bunch of years on it. Quite a satisfying object to my eye, and a nice one to