1930s Art Deco Style Bellhop antique hand-painted tin The green-painted letters on one

The green-painted letters on one side

it's hollow on the interior so that the ends of whatever it's holding can slip down inside

but I think it is the combination of carefully hand-carved shape (with carve marks visible)

There are small nubs on opposite sides of the vessel to which a handle likely once was attached

1930s Art Deco Style Bellhop antique hand-painted tin The green-painted letters on oneThough I didn't know it when I found him, I've since learned that this bellhop was produced in conjunction with a Philip Morris cigarette advertising campaign launched in 1933, and would once have carried either a bundle of cigarettes in one hand and a book of matches in the other (or else a cruet set; there were a couple of different versions produced, and I believe they were often displayed on hotel bars.) His baggage is long since gone, leaving his