1853 Byerly's New American Spelling Book with Watercolor Bird and Animal Engravings winged seal yellow glass eye (on one

yellow glass eye (on one side only)  and long beak

with bent twigs for the sides and woven ash splint I believe for the back and seat

and would strongly suggest it was made in a grocery store for actual store use

A total gem I think

part of what really makes it is the visceral effect of layered and overlapping forms and colors

1853 Byerly's New American Spelling Book with Watercolor Bird and Animal Engravings winged seal yellow glass eye (on oneAnother week, another 19th century school speller, because I can simply not resist a good one, and especially not one with a watercolor bird on an end page! This one, Byerly's New American Spelling Book, was published by M. Polock, Philadelphia, in 1853. I purchased it from a wonderful dealer in PA, who shares my love of naive fraktur style watercolors, and indeed this tri color bird looks very Pennsylvania to me. With wonderful engravings too,