Wonderful Old Painted Wooden Folk Art Crocodile on Tin Wheels open more visible in photos than

more visible in photos than in person

I just love the form of these two facing perched birds

with a terrific patina to the bowl

but details do a slightly better job

primarily dating to the mid- to late- 19th century

Wonderful Old Painted Wooden Folk Art Crocodile on Tin Wheels open more visible in photos thanI've seen a few larger folk art pull toys (primarily dogs) made in this articulated manner, allowing the body to curve and snake, but I've never seen a crocodile, or one of this smaller (perfect!) scale. With a bit of a similar feel to those old Pennsylvania folk art turtle step stools I really love, and with a most excellent and perfectly aged paint job: sponged black paint animating the dark green, and yellow spots on top of that, plus eyes that