Chinese Brass Matchbox Holder with Dog raku sculpture this basket features two bands

this basket features two bands of curlicues around its sides and a fancy "bow" at the center of its lid

And give me a hand o' thine

which takes a strong pull to open

I've polished the silver some and it could be polished a bit more

it features the work of 15 painters and sculptors "selected simply as individuals

Chinese Brass Matchbox Holder with Dog raku sculpture this basket features two bandsWhile one would expect it to be a Foo Dog that would appear on the top of a Chinese match box holder, it seems there were a whole series of these made for export in the earlyish 20th century featuring an array of different dogs as well as other animals. This little dog has floppy ears and a very sweet if a bit sad looking face, and appears to be studying the engraved decoration around the edges of the matchbox holder upon which he sits! The flip side