SOLD 1895 Gold Painted Carved Whimsy with Letters, Numbers and More, On Stilts! antique school notebook I love that they are

I love that they are absolutely as simple as could be

I know that is Hudson River School and I am pretty certain 1830-1850 or so

Post facto someone has made a note on the underside: "By artist who designed Indian US stamp

with all little bits and pieces firmly attached

which hold the legs in place

SOLD 1895 Gold Painted Carved Whimsy with Letters, Numbers and More, On Stilts! antique school notebook I love that they areEvery inch of this carved whimsy is covered with letters, stars, the year 1895, and more. I believe they all together likely tell a story about the person who carved it, the letters not just being monograms but also speaking to where they were born or lived or were educated, etc. The number 60 appears, too, perhaps indicating the age of the carver or, it is possible that whole thing commemorates the life of someone who has passed, as I believe was