Lovely Old Painted Wooden Apple Shaped Puzzle carved skeleton a symbol of strength and

a symbol of strength and rebirth

3 7/8" x 2 5/8" x 1"

love and truth having endured many years and many challenges

or clappers

I love that the curves of the three arches along the top are a bit wonky

Lovely Old Painted Wooden Apple Shaped Puzzle carved skeleton a symbol of strength andI've had a few old painted treen apple boxes (which were made in Japan for Western export, beginning in the late 19th c. I believe) and I've looked at many more (some made as nesting boxes, some with roulette games inside) but I'd never seen one configured as a puzzle before. This is a fairly old one, 1920s or so I might guess based on the paint. I haven't dared to take it apart in case putting it back together is harder than it looks, but I am sure a