Puzzling Old Interlocking Whimsy Carving antique dog photographs with some toning/staining visible around

with some toning/staining visible around the unpainted perimeter but not much visible on the painting itself--just a little in the pale blue sky

composed by joining halves of two different woods

for me to see that--I was just lost in the strangely balletic/poignantly awkward gestures

an it would be just stunning on the wall

Puzzling Old Interlocking Whimsy Carving antique dog photographs with some toning/staining visible aroundI'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;