Antique Folk Art Hand-carved Snake in a Box! willis hitchinson educated at Balmforth Avenue School

educated at Balmforth Avenue School (Danbury High School)

features 22 stories edited & translated by Maurice Metayer interspersed with 31 fantastic full page

and also pretty unusual

such that one half of the loon is more of dark gray-green

which shows a unique error in coloration--the red is much darker than the rest--but was kept  in the deck anyway

Antique Folk Art Hand-carved Snake in a Box! willis hitchinson educated at Balmforth Avenue SchoolHandmade boxes with surprise carved snakes inside seem to have become a thing right around 1900, which is about how old I'd guess this one is. Sadly, the slide top lid to this lovely grain painted wooden box is long gone, but a string attached to the snake inside does the trick for making him emerge! The snake itself is pretty terrific I think, with hand painted details (in ink I believe) and tiny nails for eyes, and a knot in the string can be used