Really old pin cushions -- any info?

[Better Dresses Vintage]

Hi - Found these beauties recently.

Here's what I know:
All silk, including the velvet ribbon
Cotton or possibly silk/cotton lace.
All embroidery is wool.
Filled with sand (perhaps the emery variety that sharpens pins) possibly mixed with straw.

Very large and very heavy, as you can see.

Your thoughts/input, please?

 

[Pinkcoke]

Can't help with dating (other than they look pre-1930s to me) but they'd make great pattern weights. (seeing as they will probably distintegrate with more pins being stuck in them!)

 

[The Vintage Vendeuse]

Lovely!
I adore vintage/antique sewing stuff.

 

[cmpollack]

Lovely! I look forward to learning more about these...

 

[sewingmachinegirl]

Gosh they are beautiful!