Featured Carved ink line marker with duck and frog/s

Took me quite a while to find out what this 30p jumble sale buy was. The sellers didn’t know, so I felt I had to buy it!
9 and a half inches long 4 inches tall. All carved wood wheel and handle. I believe it is a Japanese sumitsubo used by woodworkers to make ink lines on wood. The line should be silk, mine isn’t, anyway to use it, this line pulls through wadding soaked in ink pushed into the top well, you secure the line then ping it to leave a straight ink line transfer on to your wood. Then you can reel it back on to the wheel using the handle. I don’t know what the wood type is and what the animals are, frogs? One has ears though which looks odd. Any info about the wood, possible age, is it a real tool or decorative tourist item? Thanks

 

IMHO-I'm guessing your Sumitsubo was made more as a work of art than as a functional piece.I see no real wear on it & the purely functional construction models were much simpler.They seem to go from $45 all the way up to $900 (crazy range).
It's a beautiful piece-good find.
Your UK Jumbles & Boots continue to amaze me,we haven't sold anything here in the States for 30p since 1954 !

 

Here's a few of the fancier ones I've spotted-

 

Japanese sumitsubo seem to have larger ink pots and larger wheels.

https://covingtonandsons.com/2021/03/13/the-japanese-sumitsubo-inkpot-墨壺/

Yours may be an Indonesian version, and may have been made for sale like so many things coming out of Indonesia. (Indonesian carvers do like their frogs.) Here is an example identified as having been bought from a carver on Lombok -

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/plumb-bob-chalk-line-hand-carved-indonesia

 

Cool item, @Houseful!

 

I like Books supposition-Indonesian feel.They are lovely.

 

That was my impression too.
I have one from Bali, but it is very different. It is a polychrome chalk line marker, if I remember correctly it is a winged "chariot" driven by a monkey. I'll see if I can find photos.

Bali and Lombok carvers do.

 

Yet another thing Ive never seen and didnt know I had to have !

 

Thank you, I think that it not being Japanese explains a lot about it and the frogs. I also thought the ink well was rather small to be practical and how the ink pads would soak downwards and into the main body of the carving.

 

Another one of my clueless buys. When I picked it up I thought it might be a handle for something then I saw the wheel and string and thought you might stick some bait on it and dangle it to catch crabs!!

 

Thanks

 

I haven't photographed mine yet, so this is the seller's pic, with the reel on top of the chariot.
The reel actually fits in between the wheels of the chariot, and the end of the string is pulled out from between the horses with a Chinese cash coin.
The monkey sits on the lid of the chalk compartment.
The obligatory frog hitches a ride on the handle.

 

Thanks AJ. Sweet little carving.
Think it’s possible mine might have had something that sat on top of the chalk compartment too but there’s no wear on the edges so perhaps not.
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/en-gb/price-result/vintage-indonesian-hand-carved-wood-chalk-line/
The shape on this one on my link is very similar to mine. Thank you everyone.

 

Thanks, House, yes it is sweet. It came in a lot which I actually bid on for one of the other items, so it will go to a new home when I am able to sell again.