48" long. Straw work was also sometimes called plaited straw work or wicker work in miniature. It has a long tradition in England, particularly in the 18th and 19th c's. It was originally associated with the hat industry, esp in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. Women and children would braid straw that would be sewn into bonnets. From this industrial skill, a domestic art form grew. Chains, boxes, picture frames and keepsakes were often made by women in rural communities as a pastime and to make a little $. Wheat straw was split, flattened, and polished to a silky golden sheen, then braided. Lightweight, inexpensive, and carried sentimental value because it was made by a loved one (but mimicked chain pretty well when woven tightly!) Sailors and prisoners (esp Napoleonic prisoners of war in Britain) also made (sometimes v elaborate) straw work items. This craft fits nearly into the 19th century enthusiasm for "ingenious handicrafts" and natural materials. OMD maker's mark on metal dog clip, c. 1900. Two visible repairs. Ultra lightweight.