Antique Knotwork Sailor's Cosh black eyes I'm a softie for especially

I'm a softie for especially carefully painted pieces like this cigarette box

and the rest of it carved of ebony

I believe there may be something carved in the bottom but I can't make it out if so

a bit of cracking to the splint here and there

and windows

Antique Knotwork Sailor's Cosh black eyes I'm a softie for especiallyAbout a year ago I found a sailor's cosh similar to this one in the Hudson River Valley, and just returned to the same dealer to purchase this one, which came from the same estate. From what I understand, this exquisitely crafted but brutal object was a sailor's weapon, preferred over the knife, and according to lore was carried by "Press Gangs," who would use them to gather a crew by rendering unsuspecting victims on shore unconscious, only to awake