My guess is that this is a carved whimsy chain abandoned mid-way through, but I like to think of it as a deconstruction of the carving process, showing the progression from beginning to final carving in an almost diagrammatic manner, complete with pencil-drawn outlines on the uncarved end, and increasingly fine links at the other.  A pretty cool object in any case I think, and a fun one to wave around! 

Great condition, with a nice warm patina. 9" l x 78" wide and deep. It will stand up on its own on a level surface.