Carved Bone Napkin Holder. 2 1/2 x 1 in. with 1 1/4 in. opening.

This beautifully crafted napkin holder features the profile of a tiger with its jaws gaping open and an outline inscription on the alternate face of the napkin holder which reads: "NEWBERNE/ Nth CAROLINA/ 1863." 

In 1863, Newberne, North Carolina, was a Union occupied city, notably serving as a center for organizing African American troops for the Union army. The 35th United States Colored Troops would originate from the city as a result, the first of its kind to enter into the Union. With the influence of Newberne, as well as the Emancipation Proclamation ordered in January 1863, an influx of support from African Americans was funneled into the forces of the Union army. 

In March of 1863, a Confederate attempt to regain the city was initiated, resulting in a scattered amount of skirmishes and an attack on Fort Anderson. These attempts were ultimately deflected, forcing the Confederate army to withdraw. Newberne would remain a Union-occupied city, garnering African American participation in the Union army.

[African Americana, African American History, Black History, Slavery, Enslavement, Abolition, Emancipation] [Pamphlets, Publications, Ephemera, Books, Rare Books, Tracts][Art, Folk Art, Military Art, Etching, Engraving, Lithographs, Prints, Ephemera]