Beautifully Executed, Large Ink and Watercolor Manuscript Map of North America, 1854, French Canadian vintage German tin toy with a nice fat stem

with a nice fat stem too

and then hole for the scissors straits through the head

reminding me of a head of garlic (and also looking a bit as if it should serve a tiny ice cream sundae

but so much better for being perfectly preserved in the clay body of a utilitarian vessel

annotated with an old hand-painted sign describing it in a matter of fact but inevitably poetic feeling manner

Beautifully Executed, Large Ink and Watercolor Manuscript Map of North America, 1854, French Canadian vintage German tin toy with a nice fat stemI look at a lot of antique hand drawn maps done in school, but rarely come across one as beautiful as this one, finely executed ink and watercolor and dated 1854. And rather nice that it is French Canadian's perspective on North America. Details are most useful in giving a sense of the level of detail and gorgeous color here; my overall photo does it no real justice. With a key at bottom left providing a guide to color use, including showing Alaska