Super Folky Old Handmade Bee Box with Removable Queen Bee Carrier and Rich Patina drawing on rice paper I've not seen

I've not seen

The box I believe dates to the late 19th/very early 20th century or so

which was such a gem I went back to the seller in Russia to buy two more larger in scale

You likely know by now if you are reading this how much I like old books as objects

which can be peeled off with a little effort)

Super Folky Old Handmade Bee Box with Removable Queen Bee Carrier and Rich Patina drawing on rice paper I've not seenI found this old bee box at the end of an almost completely fruitless day poking around southern Maine last weekend but it alone made the day worthwhile, to my sensibilities really a great one. About as primitive as it gets, but clearly it did its job effectively, as the patina to the interior of this box a rich mix of beeswax and grime and who know what all attests to many years of housing bees inside. What I especially like is how the queen bee