In the words of the artist: “Atlas Shrugged” taught me an interesting lesson. It reminded me, if I needed reminding, that the original idea of humorous animal boxes was an excellent concept. I started this model a number of years ago as an attempt to carve something a little bit different. At first it was solid and painted with the high gloss finish that was later used on the Fragile World range. Over time it was improved by using the stained finish typical of Harmony Kingdom, instead of the gloss. An interior was added and a more traditional base was carved to help in the manufacturing. It was now clear that I had come full circle and ended up with a model that would not look out of place in the Harmony Kingdom range. So I suppose it’s true what they say. . . “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”! The model is missing one feature typical of my HK pieces – it is mouseless.
This box figurine is the first tooth fairy box produced by HK. The strange little goblin perches on an inscribed coin reading “Every good child deserves favour.” Within the box is a tiny tooth with the message “new teeth for old.” An early version has the acorn perched over the interior message. “Bon Chance” has had a variety of colour combinations that have not been recorded except for the first 225 that were green and red without golden wings. Inspiration for this piece came from Richard Dadd, a late 19th century English painter in the fantasy tradition. Hallmarks include ©, diamond, mirror image clock face with month 7, HBC logo, and DL.
The sloth is a slow-moving mammal that inhabits the tropical forests of South and Central America. They can live for more than ten years, spending nearly their entire existence hanging from trees by their long limbs. To portray suspension, Master Carver Peter Calvesbert left the base completely smooth to suggest nothingness. He says, “I enjoyed carving this box figurine because it fits into my weird and wonderful category, both in look and movement, or should I say lack of movement.” These animals move in such slow motion that algae grow on their coarse hair, giving the sloth a greenish tinge. Its hair is also home to the sloth moth, a flutter of which is depicted in the interior. Each year the female produces a single offspring. Notice the baby sloth tucked between momma’s limbs. Look for the initials L.B., which stand for Leanna Barron, who suggested this piece. Also, look for Peter’s signature hidden mouse.
To honor the 2008 U.S. Presidential election, Master Carver Peter Calvesbert has carved the Democrat and Republican mascots, both popularized by 19th century editorial cartoonist Thomas Nast. Peter’s political animals – “Ebony” the donkey and “Ivory” the elephant - are stand-alone pieces, but the shape of their bases allows them to face off in head-to-head battle. At the time of carving, the Democrats were still undecided who should lead them into the election, so both Barack and Hillary get a mention in the donkey. However, the letter B is atop the letter H due to Obama’s lead. The inscriptions on the donkey lid mark the passing of Humphrey Lyttelton. A famous British jazz musician, he was also known as chairman of “I’m sorry I haven’t a clue”, a BBC series describing itself as “an antidote to panel shows” and simply the funniest thing on radio. It began in 1972 and has become an English institution.
While Master Carver Peter Calvesbert has never seen a Proboscis Monkey (after all, they are only found on the island of Borneo), he had little difficulty capturing its essence, due to its prominent feature - a large, fleshy nose that droops downward over its chin. But its second most noticeable trait – its brightly colored genitalia – posed a bit of a dilemma. The interior of this box figurine shows a “handsome” big nosed man holding a sign that says “Big noses are sexy”. Inscriptions include the monkey’s Latin name (Nasalis Larvatus) and “I love swimming” as Proboscis are known for their swimming ability.
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