This is one of over thirty stay busks in the Pinto collection, many of which are on permanent display in BM&AG. This chip-carved stay busk, or corset stiffener, is made from lime wood and is dated 1783. Stay busks were popular gifts in the eighteenth century and motifs such as hearts and roundels are frequently found on many kinds of rustic love tokens including knitting sheaths and love spoons. This example is over 36 cm long, which would indicate that its owner, whose initials 'ER' are carved on the stay busk, was quite a tall lady.