Trompe l'oeil Carved Wooden Envelope pottery jug 3 3/4 inches tall

3 3/4 inches tall

The tacks themselves are long gone

with light wear and some spotting to the wood on one side

I think it is the transparency that makes this piece really wonderful

interrupted by a rainbow array of stripes

Trompe l'oeil Carved Wooden Envelope pottery jug 3 3/4 inches tallI'm not sure if 3 dimensional objects can actually qualify as trompe 'loeil, but I'm using the term to describe this wonderful carved envelope anyway! First, it is the size of an real small envelope, and second, the manner of the carving in relation to the color and grain of the wood creates the appearance of faux shadows (on top of real ones), crinkles, and the bulk of a letter inside. I'm not good identifying woods, but it seems an ususual one