Old Carved and Painted Hawk or Falcon on Natural Wood Base Chinese export About as haunting a portrait

About as haunting a portrait

when he could not find a cloth to wipe his slate

and sturdy enough still to hang from the wall

inset ship

so while I don't really

Old Carved and Painted Hawk or Falcon on Natural Wood Base Chinese export About as haunting a portraitI'm not the best at identifying birds, but certainly this is a bird of prey, either a falcon or a hawk I believe, with wire extending to form its crooked beak, and wonderfully large painted black eyes that make it seem keenly observant and poised not to miss a thing, miles around! Whether the base is original to it or not I can't say for sure, but they certainly feel akin, and there are two small holes in the wood into which the bird's wire feel