Marvelous Antique Whaler Made Folk Art Snuff Box with Primitive Figures rebus artwork There's a bent nail and

There's a bent nail and maybe one added nail on the top edge of the green end

Carved with a knife and chisel

I am not certain of the wood but believe it is a tropical wood and the sculpture is quite heavy for its size

7 1/2” long x 5” tall x 2 1/2” deep

and by the end of the 19th century the magic lantern was overtaken by the cinematograph

Marvelous Antique Whaler Made Folk Art Snuff Box with Primitive Figures rebus artwork There's a bent nail andThis may just be my favorite find ever, combining just about everything that I love most in one very singular small object. It is a snuff box, pre 1850 I believe based on style and construction, and I am quite sure whaler made. In stark contrast to the fancier scrimshawing one typically sees on whale teeth and the like, what I love about this is the primitiveness of these carved figures, one on one side and a pair on the other, and with these almost