Wonderful Old Hand-carved Bird Shaped Box gift for the scholar or for transporting food to

or for transporting food to a temple

but from what I've learned he was a self-taught artist of Southern New Jersey and later Fogelsville

I don't think photos fully do justice to this really lovely

Well if one is hand-building a vessel anyway

1 1/2" deep

Wonderful Old Hand-carved Bird Shaped Box gift for the scholar or for transporting food toI was delighted to find this one in New Hampshire the other day, which I presume was made as a snuff box, 19th c American I would guess. (It would really also be the perfect box for holding the tiny bone dice I just listed!) Such an elegant form suggesting a bird through the sparest of means (it feels to me quite reminiscent of early Native American bird stones), wider for the body and gracefully tapering toward the gently pointing beak. I also love