Britains' Painted Lead Circus Ringmaster! braided handle At first I took this

At first I took this small vase with its terrific patterning as an Art Deco piece

integrated into the weave

The bottom half of the box features similar patterning on its sides

Definitely it was done many years ago--in magic marker I believe--as the paper is pretty brittle

though there has been a bit of debate here about whether it might be a dog

Britains' Painted Lead Circus Ringmaster! braided handle At first I took thisI am completely taken with this little ringmaster (look at those pink cheeks!), whose right arm moves up and down to raise or lower his crop. Part of the English company Britains' "Mammoth Circus" set, he once would have commanded a whole fleet go animals and performers (prancing horses, stiltwalkers, balancing ballerinas, etc), but I think I like him best just on his own, perhaps to keep nearby for one needs a little motivation to get going! I