Okay frankly, this piece gives me the creeps. But the cool thing about collecting something odd and folksy is that once you tell other people you're collecting it, they will occasionally bring you a really unique piece they've found for you. My mother-in-law, Betty Green, bought this for me at a flea market near Unionville, Missouri. I initially thought this might have been something like a pie-bird, but realized quickly that it had no vent holes in it. After some further studying, I've determined it was probably intended to be a puppet head - but, the indentation in the bottom for the puppeteer's finger isn't deep enough to compensate for the weight of the actual head, so it ended up being a cast-off. My daughter points out that it could be used as a candle snuffer, and I agree - if only because it will scare the fire out. This piece measures a little under 5 inches tall but has no identifying marks. return to gallery 4 home