Composition Rosette- Dibble- "Saxon Shield"

Composition Rosette.

Composition/Hemacite rosette by Dibble in ebony. Saxon Shield design. Cir. 1890s-1910. A unique process patented by Dr W H Dibble in the 1890s used essentially blood and sawdust to create various sturdy hardware pieces that still exist today! This was a precursor to Bakelite, essentially a natural "plastic". Rosette measures 2 1/4"diam. There is a small attachment screw stuck in one of the holes, but it is small enough it could probably still be used for attachment if pressure was applied by adding other screws.

This is an antique item and may show wear due to age. This may include scratches, pitting, patina, finish loss, rust or other general wear. We attempt to include any significant damage beyond regular wear within the description. We make every effort to clean as much paint, dirt and rust off of items while still leaving as much of the original patina as possible. Photos shown are of actual item you will receive.

Dibble

Dibble Manufacturing Co. of Trenton New Jersey was a manufacturer of hemacite goods from 1877-1897. The goods ranged from hardware to wheels and buttons and even jewelry. The process of making hemacite- a type of plastic produced by mixing animal blood and sawdust under pressure was patented by Dr. W. H. Dibble. Although it was a cheap and durable product, it quickly lost favor after the introduction of bakelite.