Puzzling Old Interlocking Whimsy Carving bamboo The structure itself is delicate

The structure itself is delicate but sturdy and completely in tact

Another Brimfield favorite---which the person who sold it to me had to take a picture of before parting with

and rather like the way his posture now centers around his one good foot

There is just a little loss to the surface of a couple of strips on the back side

which looks to be Max Dorning NYC

Puzzling Old Interlocking Whimsy Carving bamboo The structure itself is delicateI've been living with this one awhile so as to enjoy it and puzzle over it! before parting with it. My pondering was on whether it is actually composed of two tightly interlocking pieces of wood or was just incised on the surface to give that illusion but I've now learned that indeed this was a carpenter's trick, and so this a carpenter's whimsy. I love it as a very satisfying physical object (there is absolutely no wiggle between those two pieces;