Beautifully Carved Antique Hanging Ball in Cage Whimsy (Letter Opener?) black and white painte I especially love the choice

I especially love the choice of blue paint for face

and inventive

then hand-painted (there are remnants of one hand as well

which I am pretty certain stands for 1994

one can almost hear the cicada singing away

Beautifully Carved Antique Hanging Ball in Cage Whimsy (Letter Opener?) black and white painte I especially love the choiceI've just listed a bunch of whimsies all from one source; this one is different. I found it in New Hampshire and believe it walnut, super finely done and I believe antique. It's a bit of a curious one, too, with tapering end, which suggests use as a letter opener or page turner? And a hanging loop at the other end, which I suppose would allow one to hang it around one's neck, though I'd likely hang it from a nail on the wall instead. Really lovely. 9