Emile Bluteau Canadian Folk Art Sculpture of Strongman Louis Cyr picture of lighthouse Some loss of paint

Some loss of paint

I've found sets in both wood and bone produced by a few different British makers in the late 19th century which came in a labeled box with printed instructions--but these are more diverse in form and more finely made

German I believe

Finely made

And while great to keep together as a set

Emile Bluteau Canadian Folk Art Sculpture of Strongman Louis Cyr picture of lighthouse Some loss of paintAt first I was thinking of this guy as a sort of beefy bathing beauty (!), but thanks to a handy attribution written by his maker on the back of the base, I realized he is famous Canadian strongman Louis Cyr (1863 1912), whose recorded feats included lifting 500 pounds with one finger and backlifting 4,337 pounds! Born Cyprien No Cyr in Saint Cyprien de Napierville, Quebec, Cyr changed his name to Louis when his family moved to Lowell, Massachusetts