19th Century Miniature Carved Boot Shaped Box landmanden leve One could wrap the edges

One could wrap the edges around a stretcher

Lots of wear and rusting

I've been thinking a lot about this phone--as singular object and symbol--since I found it a couple of weeks ago at a show in New Hampshire

How to beat these green and orange stripes and these two tiny figures facing one another forever as they roll along

19th Century Miniature Carved Boot Shaped Box landmanden leve One could wrap the edgesI took this for an antique carved snuff box boot, but when I got it home and opened it up, realized it was made as a trick box, with what looks to have been a snake inside that would pop its head up when one slid the lid open. Sadly, both ends of the snake were broken at some point; the remaining fragment remains, held by pins inside that attach to either side of the boot. Sad that it is lost, but a great little carved boot still, 19th c. and