A wonderful little finely hand-carved wooden Black Forest bear, here, I believe from either the German Schwarzwald mountain region in southwestern Germany, or, possibly, the Brienz area of Switzerland. Based on others that I have seen, I'd guess it dates from the first half of the 20th century.

A very sweet little bear he is, with slightly cocked head, deeply carved eyes, and detailed carving of the fur that gives him quite a realistic feel; I'd say this little piece really captures a sense of "bear-ness"!

I didn't know when I found him (at the estate of a widely-collecting world traveler from Gloucester, MA) quite how precious little Black Forest carvings can be, often commanding many hundreds of dollars. I am pricing this one well under comparables I've seen as I want to be sure he finds a loving home!

2 1/2" long x 1 1/4" tall x 3/4" wide. Very good condition, with light wear to the wood and some tiny white spots on one side only that likely seem to come off with a little care.