C. 1838 Folk Art Watercolor Mourning Picture for Two Infants, Framed unknown artist This carved and painted wooden

This carved and painted wooden mask--an early 20th century Mexican dance mask--feels so contemporary to me

This is one of new batch of antique math and geometry notebooks just in--from a bookseller in England whose late husband collected them

I find it quite an elegant piece

There are a couple of diagonal surface scratches at lower left

and the cutouts forming heart patterns at the center of the handle

C. 1838 Folk Art Watercolor Mourning Picture for Two Infants, Framed unknown artist This carved and painted woodenI've long been admiring 19th century folk art mourning pictures in this manner, such beautiful and tender things I think, packed with such sorrow, but also resilience. This one mourns not one but two children, Frances and Joseph Cross, the first who died at 12 months, the second at 16 months, in 1838. Veritably wrapped in green leaves, grass, shrubs I love that the landscape also includes bright blooming flowers, lending a sense of hope and