I find these old brass surveyors/architects stencils so beautiful--paper thin, finely made, and really shining rather like liquid gold in the light. I purchased a lot of them from a seller in England, and have broken them up into smaller thematic groups. These would have been used to annotate blueprints/architectural renderings, but as a lover of found language I like them as small, evocative signs of sorts, which could be interesting in all sorts contexts. I would place the "reference" stencil on or near the bookshelves straight away, and hang, or use, the others in the studio!

5 7/8" x 2 5/8" ea. Very good condition. c. early 20th c.