Antique Carved Burl Wood Bird, Presumed Native American Woodlands, Ex. Axtell Collection red clay or a group of summer

or a group of summer campers

just large enough to stick the tip of a pen or pencil inside

And when turned over on his back

which feels like pure sculpture to me

This sketch shows some scattered toning/staining (showing a bit more in photos than in person) but I really love it

Antique Carved Burl Wood Bird, Presumed Native American Woodlands, Ex. Axtell Collection red clay or a group of summerA bit of a mystery, this bird, but such a beautiful thing, which came from the collection of "Smitty" Axtell, who was a great lover of carved treen objects. Carved of burl wood I believe, it feels to me Native American, bearing a strong resemblance to birds carved on effigy pipes and ladles, but I don't know for certain, and the reason for the holes carved down the back and up the belly is unknown, though it would seem likely it functioned as a tool