Carved, Painted Old Folk Art Whimsy with Glass Marble Ball (ex. Matt King collection) painting on wooden paddle complete with this terrific pointy

complete with this terrific pointy roof made of what appears to be strips of bark

dates it 1832–1857

striking and playful and very deco feeling

4 1/4" x 2 1/2" and in very good condition

but it would also be the perfect plate for carrying a bedtime snack

Carved, Painted Old Folk Art Whimsy with Glass Marble Ball (ex. Matt King collection) painting on wooden paddle complete with this terrific pointyI watched this one recently come and go in at auction as part of the late dealer collector Matt King's estate, one in a lot of several objects. (With most everything fetching prices way beyond me, I gave up.). But then this little whimsy showed up elsewhere (I guess the buyer bought the lot for something else in it) so I grabbed it. How that marble got inside is a bit less of a mystery than I thought (one short end shows a diagonal cut, so the wood