James Williams "the Ole Whittler" Carved Whimsy vintage uchiwa What I am uncertain of

What I am uncertain of is the first phrase-- "cinq you boco faur" [

Malta's work

The wooden blocks themselves were hand-painted

likely done when he was in school

sloping to one side or the other depending on vantage point

James Williams "the Ole Whittler" Carved Whimsy vintage uchiwa What I am uncertain ofThis whittled whimsy does not have much age, but it certainly carries the pride of James Williams, known as "The Ole Whittler" of Ypsilanti Michigan (1929 2014), who made it. Born in Kentucky, Williams spent his adult life in Ypsilanti, where he worked as a contract carpenter and later for Ford Motor Company. In his retirement, he spent much of his time carving pieces like this in addition to imparting "the art of whittling" to students, which clearly