Women’s clothing of the 1700s and early 1800s was most often made without built-in pockets. Scissor hooks like this fit over the waistband of a skirt, and household necessities, such as keys and sewing tools, would hang from affixed chains. The maker of this hook, Eliakim Garretson, worked in the area of Wilmington, Delaware, and specialized in engraving decorations into metal objects.