Handmade Valentine card, 1860-80
British
Museum of London
Multi-layered, hand-finished Valentine's card. The under layer is of silver & white lace paper with an embossed floral design surrounding a central oval panel. Applied to this panel is an oval-shaped glass mirror, framed by a wreath of gilded and white embossed paper leaves, and flanked by an embossed gilded and lace paper archway. Applied below is a cut-out paper figure of a woman, the clothes formed from pink and white tissue paper with gilded leaf decoration. This applied decoration is surrounded by a top border of silver and yellow lace paper, heavily embossed with flowers and cupid figures.