Antique Architectural Ornament Mold: Bat-like Curve! lacquer box with scholars and I am totally fascinated

and I am totally fascinated by it

and the sun's a cheerful shade of yellow

and indeed these paintings always feel a bit like momento mori

"The Modern House" by James Ford and Katherine Morrow Ford was first published by the Architectural Book Publishing Co

Based on the context in which I found it

Antique Architectural Ornament Mold: Bat-like Curve! lacquer box with scholars and I am totally fascinatedI see a lot of old wooden industrial molds but only occasionally do I across across ones like this, filled with a pitch wood resin mold material, and used for casting ornaments for architecture, molding and picture frames. This is the smallest of several I'm listing, which photographs don't quite do justice (I've shot it a couple of different light situations to try to give a sense) the mold itself has a really visceral presence, feeling like a cross