Fabulous 1950s Folk Art Woven Paper Over Wood Rattlesnake on Cardboard train drawing but also just a charming

but also just a charming and handy knife to keep around

I think it makes for quite a satisfying tabletop object just on its own--the wood is beautiful and the elongated egg form really elegant--though it would be fun to see it put to use as the topper for a whole new construction

especially visible around the lip

and on one side a mouth that  just sort of devolves into two wavering lines

the two through ten featuring maps of countries or regions

Fabulous 1950s Folk Art Woven Paper Over Wood Rattlesnake on Cardboard train drawing but also just a charmingA note on the back of this wonderful snake tells us that it was made in spring or early summer 1957 at a YMCA in Washington DC as the bottom of a pipe rack which definitely makes me wish I could see the whole pipe rack, and also makes me think the classes at that particular YMCA must have been pretty amazing. It appears that the snake was carved of wood then very painstaking decorated with layers of brown and black cut paper, laid down layer by layer,