Vintage Chrome Sugar Cube (or Ice Cube) Grabber with Bakelite Bulb kid painting identifying this beautiful bug as

identifying this beautiful bug as a Meloe Monoceros

especially ones whose survival seems rather miraculous

or on its back

magnified in photos

Born at Irvington-on-Hudson

Vintage Chrome Sugar Cube (or Ice Cube) Grabber with Bakelite Bulb kid painting identifying this beautiful bug asAnother excellent, beautiful (and very fun to use) tool for the bar or for tea time. I believe this is technically a sugar cube grabber (and aren't sugar cubes a joyful thing?) but it could also be used for grabbing cocktail sized ice cubes. The bulb at the end of the handle is bakelite, the metal is chrome, and to use one just pulls up on the disc on the stem and the grabber opens. I believe it dates to 1940s and is still quite shiny and super smart