Large Carved and Painted Penguins - A Couple dowry basket The drawers

The drawers

painted on both sides

and appears to be studying the engraved decoration around the edges of the matchbox holder upon which he sits

I've always got my eyes peeled for beautiful antique no indices playing cards

Large Carved and Painted Penguins - A Couple dowry basket The drawersI thought about selling these two individually, but as I photographed them realized they really are a couple (he's taller, she's wider) so thought best to keep them together, including for the fact that they're plenty large and heavy to function as bookends (or doorstops for that matter; they're 2+ lbs each.) I purchased them from a seller who found them at an estate sale in Alabama but don't know who made them; they're carved of solid wood, thickly