19th Century Miniature Carved Boot Shaped Box antique kindergarten exercise (Each side 11 3/16 x

(Each side 11 3/16 x 8 1/2")

Perhaps they were background characters in an elaborate puppet show

it really elevates anything you might put in it

or perhaps could be put to use in a new way

and would guess it dates to the 50s or 60s

19th Century Miniature Carved Boot Shaped Box antique kindergarten exercise (Each side 11 3/16 xI took this for an antique carved snuff box boot, but when I got it home and opened it up, realized it was made as a trick box, with what looks to have been a snake inside that would pop its head up when one slid the lid open. Sadly, both ends of the snake were broken at some point; the remaining fragment remains, held by pins inside that attach to either side of the boot. Sad that it is lost, but a great little carved boot still, 19th c. and