These were originally made to hold a ball of string but they were also used to hold knitting wool or yarn.
They were produced by a number of companies in a wide variety of colours. At one time almost every home would have had a holder like this.
I currently have 2 in this design, one is a very striking mottled red colour and the other a mottled green.
An unusual design with a raised band around the equator and raised areas where the hanger passes through. The 2 holes for the hanger and for the string or wool to be pulled from are all in the top half, the bottom half has no holes.
They marked on the inside as an Apcol Product and Made in England.
They do not have anything to date it but looking at the design and the material I would say they are from the 1940's or 50's.
The holders are in good condition with an overall diameter of 11.5cm.
Many people would describe the material this is made of as Bakelite but in fact it is made of another material, urea formaldehyde. This material was produced in a much wider range of colours, hence the beautiful mottled colours.
One point about these holders is that they can at times be difficult to open if you do not know how to do it, the harder you try the more difficult to open they become. The motto here is "gently does it", hold them as lightly as you can with only very slight turning pressure and they come apart quite easily.
Please note. I do my best to accurately photograph and describe the condition of the items for sale, including any minor defects, but all pieces are vintage and have had previous lives and so may have minor flaws.
Postage is for UK only, please enquire for overseas postage.