Much Weathered Old Carved Totem with Head and Two Animals Chinese cinnabar box with many years of use

with many years of use left in it

with the larger 3 7/8" tall and the shorter 2" tall

better in person

or at least a swindler of some sort

then detailed with with brown painted cap and belt

Much Weathered Old Carved Totem with Head and Two Animals Chinese cinnabar box with many years of useNot an easy one to photograph, and also rather an elusive one to begin with, at least to me. This small totem was carved from a very soft, porous wood, like petrified driftwood, and appears to me to be quite old, as the features on the three figures what looks to be a human head at top, followed by two animals below appear to have much weathered and worn since they were carved. Based on the nature of the wood and the color, I might guess this carving