19th Century Miniature Carved Boot Shaped Box landmanden leve The numbers/letters are carved/ incised

The numbers/letters are carved/ incised

How to beat these green and orange stripes and these two tiny figures facing one another forever as they roll along

Lots of wear and rusting

I've been thinking a lot about this phone--as singular object and symbol--since I found it a couple of weeks ago at a show in New Hampshire

as once done it is irreversible

19th Century Miniature Carved Boot Shaped Box landmanden leve The numbers/letters are carved/ incisedI took this for an antique carved snuff box boot, but when I got it home and opened it up, realized it was made as a trick box, with what looks to have been a snake inside that would pop its head up when one slid the lid open. Sadly, both ends of the snake were broken at some point; the remaining fragment remains, held by pins inside that attach to either side of the boot. Sad that it is lost, but a great little carved boot still, 19th c. and