Man in Bowler and Oversized Coat, View From Behind, Elusive (Pre-Magritte) Antique RPPC homespun sampler but it could be set

but it could be set anywhere and does not need light behind it to pop

hardboard/masonite back

So I was delighted to find this striking piece at an antique shop in Maine: a wooden tray with face constructed of matchsticks and inlaid wood

it seems one could research and invent all sorts of other games and variations to play with it too

Man in Bowler and Oversized Coat, View From Behind, Elusive (Pre-Magritte) Antique RPPC homespun sampler but it could be setI'm rather obsessed with this one, striking and evocative and rather iconic feeling, but which refuses to be pinned down. The back of the postcard dates it to the 1910s or early 20s, I believe (I took some time comparing this exact font and format to other real photo postcards and that seems to be the period of use), meaning it pre dates Magritte's earliest man in bowler painting by at least a few years, though those are what it immediately calls to