New Puritan Lead teak mice and the number 55631 written

and the number 55631 written in pencil in the upper left corner

extending up along the edges and attached by thread wound through pierced holes

10 7/8 x 8 13/16 in

There is a note on the back of this drawing that reads 1957 Life Magazine

and I'd just bet Frank Baum had one

New Puritan Lead teak mice and the number 55631 writtenSomething in the combination of text and material just spoke to me when I found these blocks of New Puritan Lead the other day in Maine, weighing in at about 8 pounds. It seems somehow rather poignant that "Puritan" and lead should be linked, perhaps as if to signify the heavy weight of the puritanical in many senses. And the font on the text seems perfectly right, declarative and unwavering. (A little bit Jenny Holzer esque too.) To my sensibilities,