Big Chunky Carved Whimsy with Links an Ball in Cage colorful The polar bear stands less

The polar bear stands less than an inch tall

I believe this very charming antique hand-colored lithograph dates to the 1840s or so

but I think it's pretty great

with a pair of figures in what I believe are whaling boats on either side

3 1/8" in diameter and 3/4" deep

Big Chunky Carved Whimsy with Links an Ball in Cage colorful The polar bear stands lessThis carved whimsy is quite the opposite of refined, which is much of what I love about it, plus the fact that both end pieces can be stood up, with the two links crossed above them, making it perfect for sitting like a sculpture on a shelf. It's big and chunky 16 1 4" inches long when stretched out and 1 5 8 inches wide and deep and the ball makes a nice rattle in its cage when shaken! It would be good hung on the wall by one of the links, too.