SOLD Great Old Carved Folk Art Book Shaped Box with Passive Snake Inside! captioned photo A true treasure

A true treasure

this week I returned to the same shop and found DARK ENGINE waiting for me

with glass for the windows (inset into carved niches visible on the interior) painted with black crosses for windows and bordered on the bottom with black painted bits of wood

with small loss around left tusk as noted and documented

SOLD Great Old Carved Folk Art Book Shaped Box with Passive Snake Inside! captioned photo A true treasureI purchased this one from a wonderful dealer in Pennsylvania, and believe that is quite likely where it originated, early 20th century would be my guess, though it could be a little older than that. There is a tiny hole in the slide that once would have attached via string or fine wire to the snake inside (with stained black arching neck and wonderful little nailed eyes and iron tongue) and pulled it forth to deliver a surprise to the opener! That