Looking Out, Charming c. 1880s Mother of Pearl Seashell Folk Art Carving circus carousel I really love the handlebar

I really love the handlebar mustache--and mustache-like hair

I especially love the layering of cloth on the spools to create soft surfaces to hold the pins

Plus original instructions

Top measures 9 3/4" x 7"

Looking Out, Charming c. 1880s Mother of Pearl Seashell Folk Art Carving circus carousel I really love the handlebarI'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