Unusual, Architectural, 25 Inch Long Hanging Whimsy Chain with Moving Parts 19th century herbarium and also a fair resemblance

and also a fair resemblance to some pieces designed by Ettore Sottsass for Bitossi

I've found a few mentions of the Producer's Marble Co

and the petrified wood base (the absolute perfect base) definitely points to shorebird

and the widening of the triangular nose in the opposite direction

This delicate ink and ink wash drawing of two hanging deer was done on the back of the title page of a 1898 copy of the The Strand Magazine

Unusual, Architectural, 25 Inch Long Hanging Whimsy Chain with Moving Parts 19th century herbarium and also a fair resemblanceI've bought and sold a lot of carved whimsies, including chains, such that it now takes a pretty special or unusual one to excite me. And this is one of those, very much the product of one particular person's fancies! There is a piece of fishing line threaded through the rounded "cage" at top by which to hang it, which is what it was clearly carved to do (though I like it arranged on a tabletop too.) Photos give a good sense, but in case not evident