Big Ball in Cage Whimsy - 3 Inch Cube spotted beetle and one corner joint is

and one corner joint is a bit loose

5 5/8" t x 4 5/8" w

metal rods

though I can find no reference to Ernst Gravenhorst anywhere

The piece measures 2 1/8" tall x 2" wide x 3/4" deep

Big Ball in Cage Whimsy - 3 Inch Cube spotted beetle and one corner joint isOne of the things I really love about carved wooden whimsies is their infinite variety, even with the most straight forward of forms. I think this may be the largest ball in cage I've seen at 3 x 3 x 3 inches, with a ball so large it seems poised to bust out of its cage entirely! This one I'd guess dates to the mid 20th century or so, and reads as much as a tabletop minimalist sculpture as a folk art carving. There is a split in one side of the cage