Antique Carved Folk Art Whimsy Rattle (with Extra Good Rattling Sound) tie hanger Stains and toning as evident

Stains and toning as evident

I really love the lush unglaze blue decoration on this old porcelain Japanese Sake bottle or Tokkuri -- super loose and gestural

Fair condition

and I think captures the charm of a pug quite brilliantly

Antique Carved Folk Art Whimsy Rattle (with Extra Good Rattling Sound) tie hanger Stains and toning as evidentI've gotten more and more into these old whimsy or puzzle rattles, constructed of carved, interlocking bits like ball in cage type whimsies and the like, each one of these rattles is very much its own thing, reflective of the skills and ambitions of its maker. It was clearly not a master carver who made this one and of course it is its relative humbleness and crudeness that makes this one especially empathetic to me. What they were masterful in,