Late 18Th/Early 19Th Century Valentine Cobweb

Stock No

TSFS1619

Member since
2016

£1,695.00

€1,999 Euro
$2,258 US Dollar

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Item Description

A museum quality hand painted and cut paper cobweb, also know as beehives, flower cages, or birdcages. This particular examples has a hand painted watercolour exterior with a cottage and figures and hung internally with a cut-out pendant bird nursing to a nest of eggs, all mounted to square annotated card.

This was given to a Mary Anne Loveday, likely a soon to be mother.

The cobweb formed the perfect sanctuary to enclose a private message that could only be revealed when the recipient of the card carefully pulled up the thread, causing the concentric circles of the web to rise and magically expose its hidden compartment. The concept of secrecy and the element of surprise frequently recurs in valentines, as they speak to the intimacy that has always been a part of the language of love.

Some very minor damage to the extremely intricate mechanical web, but the piece works perfectly. An extremely rare survivor, comes with its original envelopes and a purpose made turned wood and brass hanging hook.

cobweb when flat measures 14/15cm Stand is 42cm in height

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