Fabulous Carved and Painted Wooden Sculpture of Seal or Sea Lion Balancing Ball vintage picnic basket which included a fantastic collection

which included a fantastic collection of mid-century and contemporary ceramics from Japan

The box is missing front latches

1929)  a Lowell-based painter and illustrator

Signed with what looks like "Jani" and stamped "Brandon Stoneware" - a pottery studio in Brandon

There is slight slumping due to construction

Fabulous Carved and Painted Wooden Sculpture of Seal or Sea Lion Balancing Ball vintage picnic basket which included a fantastic collectionI found this painted wood sculpture of a seal or sea lion balancing a ball at the estate sale of an artist, architect and MIT librarian and fell in love with it at once. I know nothing of its origins, and it is unsigned, but I think it is absolutely fantastic! Carved from what looks to be one piece of wood, its body is painted a deep teal green animated with thousands of tiny dots in yellow, pink, purple, white and a lighter green. And then that face!