Antique Folk Art Hand-carved Snake in a Box! willis hitchinson educated at Balmforth Avenue School

educated at Balmforth Avenue School (Danbury High School)

It's a little bit hard to read from the front (but what a great bunch of cross-outs at right

Probably mid-20th century or so

which shows a unique error in coloration--the red is much darker than the rest--but was kept  in the deck anyway

based I believe of the earliest of Gilbert Stuart's Washington portraits: the Gibbs-Channing-Avery portrait

Antique Folk Art Hand-carved Snake in a Box! willis hitchinson educated at Balmforth Avenue SchoolHandmade boxes with surprise carved snakes inside seem to have become a thing right around 1900, which is about how old I'd guess this one is. Sadly, the slide top lid to this lovely grain painted wooden box is long gone, but a string attached to the snake inside does the trick for making him emerge! The snake itself is pretty terrific I think, with hand painted details (in ink I believe) and tiny nails for eyes, and a knot in the string can be used