Unusual Hand-painted Old Wooden Pop-Out Wall Holder with Figure, Bridge, Mountains

Regular price $50.00

I've never seen another little wall shelf / holder like this one, which I find a pretty ingenious as well as evocative thing, perhaps meant to hold letters--and it does look as if our rather lonely looking figure could use the lift of a handwritten letter from a friend! I really love how when popped out the space in between feels as if a gap between two places, as if the figure were far away from mountainous landscape in the distance, with the white painted bridge at left representing a path between here and there. To my sensibility, a very touching thing.

10" t x 4 1/2" w. 5/8" thick when closed; 2" deep when open. I would guess this is Asian, maybe 1930s or so, but can't find another like it out there anywhere.