Looking Out, Charming c. 1880s Mother of Pearl Seashell Folk Art Carving circus carousel and front latch closes easily

and front latch closes easily and  holds tight

Top measures 9 3/4" x 7"

This one has a blank circle at the center of one side where the monogram would be carved (and still could be

or a devil

Looking Out, Charming c. 1880s Mother of Pearl Seashell Folk Art Carving circus carousel and front latch closes easilyI'm sure I've seen them on occasion, but I'd never really looked at a folk art mother of pearl shell carving of this sort before and really what an amazing thing, all done by hand, quite a feat of labor and patience! Perhaps not surprisingly, fisherman were the most common subjects depicted on these, typically shown holding a net and facing away from the sea (toward the viewer), as if coming to shore in at the end of the day. But this much better this