Butterfly on Flowering Branch with Shadows , Fine 19th Century Watercolor interlocking wooden puzzle part Michelin man

part Michelin man

and noticeable only upon close inspection

someone was wise to salvage them

perhaps ones of plants and trees most of all

This the a really lovely old beveled glass hand mirror (often described as Shaker)

Butterfly on Flowering Branch with Shadows , Fine 19th Century Watercolor interlocking wooden puzzle part Michelin manA couple more today from a group of beautifully executed 19th c. ink and watercolor butterflies, likely done by a young woman, 1870s or so I would guess and this one as much a botanical study as a butterfly portrait. Feels to me almost akin to a Mapplethorpe photograph of a flower quite a suggestive, velvety red orchid like bloom looking poised to swallow that butterfly! Quite finely done, with pale ink wash shadows enhancing its sense of realism and