Terrific Early Embossing Company Blocks in Tenderly Mended Original Box heart-shaped handle as I found one

as I found one

1832-1935)

and all the better with luscious red paint spelling out OPEN in  perfectly imperfect hand-painted bold lettering over top of it

largely replaced by beadwork when seed beads became widely available

"Gasconade boast bravado"

Terrific Early Embossing Company Blocks in Tenderly Mended Original Box heart-shaped handle as I found oneI was sold on these blocks before I even opened the box: first for the great lithographed graphics on the lid, and plaid paper around the sides, and then I noticed the tenderly hand stitched repairs at each of the corners, holding the bottom box together and telling me someone once really cared a lot about these! They took great care of them too; they're in pretty immaculate shape, and just lovely. Each block features two sides with different animals,