Curious Old Long Necked Golden Bird on Cork Base brass key snake-like circular and square coils

snake-like circular and square coils interrupting the horizontal ones

I keep scooping up these antique stencil wheels whenever I come across them  as I think they're just fantastic things

Brings out the beauty in anything you put near it too

surely this has waved down a few bottles

as there are remants of two handles that knotted to the center of the lip on either side

Curious Old Long Necked Golden Bird on Cork Base brass key snake-like circular and square coilsI purchased this bird from a dealer based in Iowa City who always has lovely and unusual things, and I think it is very much both of those. I am not completely certain whether made of wood or papier mache it looks as though the head, made as a separate piece, shows wood, visible around the eyes, but I think the body is papier mache, likely formed over a wire armature. Whatever the case, with a wonderful sort of mystery and otherworldliness about it I