"I have a carving that I would like to find out about and I am hoping you might be able to help me or put me in the right direction. The overall size is 4 inches."

J. A. Bolen is a famed token engraver. Could it be the same artist? I grabbed my copy of Neil Musante's 2002 book "The Medallic Work of John Adams Bolen, Die Sinker &c.", and lo and behold, similar carvings are illustrated on pp 251-252. I reached out to Neil for more information. -Editor

"In his advanced age Bolen would make these carvings for his family and maybe kids in the neighborhood I guess. They were made from a hard nut called a tagua nut and not for any reason other than as a way to pass the time. I don't believe he ever tried to sell any of them. They were simply given away to friends. I've seen a number of them over the years. They've sold at auction in the $400 to $600 range. This one is interesting in that it is in two parts and both are signed and dated."

Here's another group I saw online. I passed this information on to Cindy. She'd like to sell the carving. If anyone is interested in purchasing or auctioning it, I'll put you in touch with her. -Editor