Beautifully Shaped Old 6 Inch Ball in Cage Whimsy Rattle vintage carved antler mushroom and the green collar--to my

and the green collar--to my eye just a gorgeous thing

5" in diameter x 2 3/8" tall

with several imperfections and air bubbles suspended in the glass

This is a 19th century Chinese painting executed in gouache on pith paper--a type of paper (resembling rice paper) that came into use in China in the 1820s (reaching its heyday in the 1830s and 40s) as a means to satisfy the increasing demand for small

and that it makes the far north both look far more exciting that the United States

Beautifully Shaped Old 6 Inch Ball in Cage Whimsy Rattle vintage carved antler mushroom and the green collar--to myI would guess this whimsy was made as a rattle for little one, to be shaken on one end and chewed on the other (though fortunately there are no tooth marks!) I think the elongated, slightly undulating form is really elegant, and also pretty unusual, and the loop end is perfect for hanging from a nail, though it does stand up on its own. I think the wood is walnut, and it definitely has a fair amount of age to it. 6" long x 1 3 8" wide x 1 1 8" deep.