Beautiful Book Shaped Inlaid Folk Art Box with Bone Birds and Snake Maine history including a wonderful butterfly-like upper

including a wonderful butterfly-like upper case "X"

On the backside is paper stamp dated 1916

it feels wonderful in the hand and is unique from every angle

9 7/8" w x 7 3/8" t

Beautiful Book Shaped Inlaid Folk Art Box with Bone Birds and Snake Maine history including a wonderful butterfly-like upperA stunner! It's the pair of birds perched on one split branch with snake wrapped around it that drew me to this beautiful box at first (I suppose it could be a worm, but it has a split tongue, so I do think a snake) carved of bone I believe and perhaps sailor made. But then every inch of this box holds further charms, revealing itself to be shaped like a book, and with painstaking inlay work along all of its edges, and a bone push button closure on