This guy may just be my new very favorite thing! And I have not been able to find another like him out there anywhere. When I found him, I quickly realized his carved wooden head pulled out of his body to reveal a knife attached, which I thought might be used as a letter opener, but it was not until I began photographing him that I realized his legs, terminating in those fabulous boots, pulled out as well--one to reveal a pencil and the other an ink pen, with a gold grip around the handle. So, what a charming little set he makes, with the knife useful not just for opening letters but also for sharpening the pencil....how brilliant!
My guess is that there was once some sort of fabric glued to the tube that forms his body, but I rather like how its simple whiteness now makes him look rather like a butcher! I'd guess he is German or Dutch, circa 1920s-40s or so. The carving itself I think is terrific, and extends all the way down from his head to the knife blade, and all the way up from his boot to the grip of the ink pen. I just love the inventiveness of this piece and find it a truly delight-inducing thing!
7" tall x 1 1/2" wide x 7/8" deep. Excepting the possible absence of clothing around his body, he's in very good condition. The is small piece of the gold grip of the ink pen that appears to have broken off on its back side, and the pencil needs sharpening!
*Knife sharpener box he is standing on sold separately.
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