Trompe l'oeil Carved Wooden Envelope pottery jug The tacks themselves are long

The tacks themselves are long gone

which I have fallen in love with of late

3 3/4 inches tall

I think this old catcher's mitt is such a gorgeous sculptural object

Trompe l'oeil Carved Wooden Envelope pottery jug The tacks themselves are longI'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