Red, White & Blue Mini Barber Pole Hand-carved Whimsies - Sold Individually woodcut then hand-painted (there are remnants

then hand-painted (there are remnants of one hand as well

1800–1875)

constructed of clay slabs cut into the shape of roosters

I am completely smitten with this letter opener

Red, White & Blue Mini Barber Pole Hand-carved Whimsies - Sold Individually woodcut then hand-painted (there are remnantsI wonder if these charming old barber's pole whimsies were carved by a barber in his spare time? Maybe made as key fobs for the keys to the barber shop?! One finds some wonderful old hand carved barber shop poles and signs, but I've never seen mini versions like this. It may be the case that all three were once part of a larger piece, or the two short ones were opposite ends of one piece and the longer one has lost a link on the opposite end. At any