Triple Ball in Cage Carved Whimsy with Slider early 20th century photo making me believe it was

making me believe it was like one of a series of animals / drawing exercises its maker was charged with completing

and then this great fence around them and two great brown ducks marching along below

Each is titled

with a few small scrapes to the orange lacquer on the exterior and one crack to the black lacquer at the edge of one interior tray (see detailed photos)

playing at marbles

Triple Ball in Cage Carved Whimsy with Slider early 20th century photo making me believe it wasBecause I can never resist a good whimsy, and this is a bit of an unusual one, with the top section looking like a little box an enclosed cage of sorts with slide lids on either side. (The sliding sides are actually part of one connected form, which moves up and down.) Three nicely carved balls in the cage below, a carved loop at top for hanging, and a nice dry wood patina to the pine. There is one carved out side at the bottom, I assume a loss but