Vintage Hand-Painted Moustached Man Pencil Sharpener Figure

A cheerful little pencil sharpener in the shape of a round, moustached gentleman. He wears a pointed green hat and a long yellow coat with button details, a cream ruff collar and a green cape over his shoulders, and he's holding a blue book or purse. The figure is hand-painted and glossy-lacquered, most likely over wood, with a brown base. Turn him over to find a sharpener with a metal blade set into the bottom, and there's a small round hole in the back. It's a sweet desk companion or a fun piece for a stationery collector, and it's in good vintage condition.

The pencil sharpener is younger than you might think. The first patent for one was filed in France in 1828 by Bernard Lassimonne. Before that, people simply whittled their pencils to a point with a knife, which is why we still call a small folding blade a "penknife".