Antique Folk Art Hand-carved Snake in a Box! Chinese kneeling man a bit of loss to

a bit of loss to the paint on the back side and a couple of small spots on the front visible if viewed from a certain angle

and fabulous little watercolored vines

7 1/4" t x 3" w and in great condition

and such a great form

Antique Folk Art Hand-carved Snake in a Box! Chinese kneeling man a bit of loss toHandmade boxes with surprise carved snakes inside seem to have become a thing right around 1900, which is about how old I'd guess this one is. Sadly, the slide top lid to this lovely grain painted wooden box is long gone, but a string attached to the snake inside does the trick for making him emerge! The snake itself is pretty terrific I think, with hand painted details (in ink I believe) and tiny nails for eyes, and a knot in the string can be used