Victorian Black Lacquered Papier-Mâché Calling Card Case with Mother-of-Pearl Inlay | Circa 1840 – 1860
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Victorian Black Lacquered Papier-Mâché Calling Card Case with Mother-of-Pearl Inlay | Circa 1840 – 1860
Description
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Historical Context & Origin
Region: England, United Kingdom
Material: Lacquered papier-mâché, gilt decoration, polychrome painted ornament, mother-of-pearl inlay, brass clasp, and paper-lined interior
Period: Victorian, circa 1840–1860
Description
An elegant mid-19th-century Victorian calling card case of rectangular form, constructed from papier-mâché and finished in a deep black lacquer.
The front is richly decorated with a polychrome floral composition incorporating shimmering pieces of mother-of-pearl. Iridescent shell elements in silvery white, pale blue, green, and violet tones are arranged among painted red, ochre, green, and brown foliage, producing a striking contrast against the glossy black ground.
An elaborate gilt border of scrolling foliate ornament frames the composition, while a shaped brass clasp secures the case at the centre. The reverse is more restrained, decorated with a corresponding gilt scrollwork border against the black lacquered ground.
Opening the case reveals a particularly attractive original-style paper interior printed with a repeating geometric and foliate pattern in pale green, ochre, and brown. A shaped internal pocket would have accommodated calling or visiting cards.
Of additional interest, the case retains an old handwritten paper collection or inventory slip, apparently preserved within the interior for many years. The inscription is now faint and only partially legible, and it has therefore been retained with the piece rather than interpreted conclusively.
Features
- Victorian black lacquered papier-mâché construction
- Mother-of-pearl inlay incorporated into the floral decoration
- Hand-painted polychrome flowers and foliage
- Elaborate gilt scrolling border
- Original-style patterned paper lining
- Shaped interior calling-card pocket
- Brass hinged clasp
- Decorated front and reverse
- Retains an old handwritten collection or inventory slip
- Compact format characteristic of 19th-century visiting-card cases
Cultural Significance
Calling cards played an important role in Victorian social convention, particularly among the middle and upper classes. Cards were exchanged during visits, introductions, and formal social calls, and their presentation became sufficiently important that decorative cases developed into fashionable personal accessories.
Papier-mâché was particularly well suited to such objects because it could be moulded, polished, lacquered, gilded, painted, and inlaid to produce a richly decorative surface at relatively small scale. Surviving British Victorian objects in museum collections demonstrate the period's characteristic combination of black lacquer, gilding, and mother-of-pearl ornament.
Condition
Good antique condition consistent with age and use. The lacquered surfaces exhibit extensive fine craquelure, light scratches, small areas of surface wear, and localized losses to the painted, gilt, and mother-of-pearl decoration. Wear is particularly visible along the edges, corners and spine. The brass clasp remains present, and the patterned interior lining shows expected age-related wear, discoloration, and handling. The old handwritten paper slip is fragile and faded.
Dimensions (Approximate)
Length: 3.85 in
Width: 2.25 in
Depth: 0.5 in
Age (Approximate)
165–185 years old
Provenance
From the Estate of Henry and Ann Soukup. Henry L. “Hank” Soukup and his wife, Ann Butler Soukup, were longtime antiques enthusiasts who founded The Lair Antiques together in 1965, establishing a decades-long connection with the antiques trade and collecting.
Subsequently handled by Diederich Auction Gallery, Winchester, Kentucky, an auction house specializing in fine antiques, estate collections, fine art, and other historically significant material.
Learn More
View a comparable example of British Victorian lacquered papier-mâché with mother-of-pearl decoration at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Browse our Collection of Victorian Artifacts & Historic Relics
Description
Historical Context & Origin
Region: England, United Kingdom
Material: Lacquered papier-mâché, gilt decoration, polychrome painted ornament, mother-of-pearl inlay, brass clasp, and paper-lined interior
Period: Victorian, circa 1840–1860
Description
An elegant mid-19th-century Victorian calling card case of rectangular form, constructed from papier-mâché and finished in a deep black lacquer.
The front is richly decorated with a polychrome floral composition incorporating shimmering pieces of mother-of-pearl. Iridescent shell elements in silvery white, pale blue, green, and violet tones are arranged among painted red, ochre, green, and brown foliage, producing a striking contrast against the glossy black ground.
An elaborate gilt border of scrolling foliate ornament frames the composition, while a shaped brass clasp secures the case at the centre. The reverse is more restrained, decorated with a corresponding gilt scrollwork border against the black lacquered ground.
Opening the case reveals a particularly attractive original-style paper interior printed with a repeating geometric and foliate pattern in pale green, ochre, and brown. A shaped internal pocket would have accommodated calling or visiting cards.
Of additional interest, the case retains an old handwritten paper collection or inventory slip, apparently preserved within the interior for many years. The inscription is now faint and only partially legible, and it has therefore been retained with the piece rather than interpreted conclusively.
Features
- Victorian black lacquered papier-mâché construction
- Mother-of-pearl inlay incorporated into the floral decoration
- Hand-painted polychrome flowers and foliage
- Elaborate gilt scrolling border
- Original-style patterned paper lining
- Shaped interior calling-card pocket
- Brass hinged clasp
- Decorated front and reverse
- Retains an old handwritten collection or inventory slip
- Compact format characteristic of 19th-century visiting-card cases
Cultural Significance
Calling cards played an important role in Victorian social convention, particularly among the middle and upper classes. Cards were exchanged during visits, introductions, and formal social calls, and their presentation became sufficiently important that decorative cases developed into fashionable personal accessories.
Papier-mâché was particularly well suited to such objects because it could be moulded, polished, lacquered, gilded, painted, and inlaid to produce a richly decorative surface at relatively small scale. Surviving British Victorian objects in museum collections demonstrate the period's characteristic combination of black lacquer, gilding, and mother-of-pearl ornament.
Condition
Good antique condition consistent with age and use. The lacquered surfaces exhibit extensive fine craquelure, light scratches, small areas of surface wear, and localized losses to the painted, gilt, and mother-of-pearl decoration. Wear is particularly visible along the edges, corners and spine. The brass clasp remains present, and the patterned interior lining shows expected age-related wear, discoloration, and handling. The old handwritten paper slip is fragile and faded.
Dimensions (Approximate)
Length: 3.85 in
Width: 2.25 in
Depth: 0.5 in
Age (Approximate)
165–185 years old
Provenance
From the Estate of Henry and Ann Soukup. Henry L. “Hank” Soukup and his wife, Ann Butler Soukup, were longtime antiques enthusiasts who founded The Lair Antiques together in 1965, establishing a decades-long connection with the antiques trade and collecting.
Subsequently handled by Diederich Auction Gallery, Winchester, Kentucky, an auction house specializing in fine antiques, estate collections, fine art, and other historically significant material.
Learn More
View a comparable example of British Victorian lacquered papier-mâché with mother-of-pearl decoration at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Browse our Collection of Victorian Artifacts & Historic Relics
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