Featured Celluloid Dance Card Portrait Inside

Hi,
I picked up this nice little celluloid dance card and was surprised to find a portrait glued inside. The painting is in rough condition - looking at the edges I assume it is on paper of some sort.
I'm trying to figure out the age of the portrait - the dance card I would think is from the 1900-1910 time period.
Any ideas or information appreciated.
thanks for looking.

 

Sweet little miniature. Could very well be painted on paper or vellum. I'd take a guess at very early 19th C. My guess is based only on Thomas Phillips' 1813 portrait of Lady Caroline Lamb dressed in the costume of a page, which this brought to mind.

http://imgc.allpostersimages.com/im...osters/thomas-phillips-lady-caroline-lamb.jpg

 

What a lovely little celluloid dance card..... SWEET!

 

It's hard to tell.... It does look pretty old, and reminds me of miniatures painted on ivory from the early 19th century. But the painting may also date from the period of the dance card. There is no evidence that the painting is older than the dance card itself. I'm not saying that it is not older, but am unclear if one can base this judgment just on its looks.

Fig

 

You call it a "dance card" but where are the dance partner's names supposed to go?
Is there more than one "page" in it.

It looks like the image fits right into that oval? And the front covers it when closed?

 

I like this!

I don't know a thing about dance cards, but in the last year I ran across huge number of these oval miniatures (all on ivory). I never posted a photo because they were a clients, and possibly going to Sothebys, I initially assumed were paper, and they showed glue on the edges, like this. What I thought was a thicker paper that they were painted on, was actually paper thin ivory. Someone else mentioned ivory, it very well could be.

I was just writing about the bulge in the back that appears to be the size of the portrait which makes me think they were always together, Messi noticed the same. I agree. Maybe a quaint frame of some kind?

 

Locket, not dance card?
Seems earlier, as moreotherstuff said... Celluloid was in use as early as 1850.
Beautiful piece!

 

Not the same but a celuloid dance card.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/555068722796156569/

 

Do you have more than two pieces? Here is one on eBay but again, not like yours but does have a portrait.


331512615137

 

But that "portrait" in on the top, and appears to be porcelain.

 

Hi Shiloh - Great to see you!

 

LOL....is that to be funny? I guess I am all over the place again,LOL.

 

Hes lovely ! Id think from his clothes hes more 1800 ish. I think someone just put him in a Victorian locket.

 

Thanks for all the replies folks.
Great link more, hair and collar look very similar.
I'll add photos so you can see the rest of this, there is only one additional page.
I haven't seen lots of these but when searching I'm not seeing others with that oval space on the back. I cut the photo off to show the portrait but have added another - this portrait is small in the space, I don't believe these were made to go together. I think it probably came from a locket or brooch. The size of the portrait is 1 3/4"L, the space is 2 1/4"L.

 

Hi to you too messilane!
Nice to see some familiar faces here.

 

First: Shi, where the heck have you been!? Good to see you back, girl!

Second: very nice piece, CX! I have nothing really to add other than it appears to be signed just above his shoulder at left (or am I just seeing things?).

 

I agree! The portrait it not original to the mount.

All the value is in the miniature itself and not its mounting. If I were you, when listing this item for re-sell, list under the Art/Paintings/Miniatures/Watercolors category, that's where most your hits/bids will come from (the miniature portrait collectors).

 

thanks nuff. I'll double check with a better loupe but it looks like brush stroke lines.

 

Thanks for the advice on listing nuff! I would have listed it with the dance card being the main feature.
Upon closer examination I think this is painted on ivory - looking closely at what I though was a tear is really a break, and has paper underneath.

 

You're most welcome.

Ok, cool, thought it was signed. Yup, looks like an ivory wafer. The portrait to me looks like the work of English artist: 'William Egley (1798 - 1870)', but since its not signed, it's going to be one of those circle of/attributed to type things. But just to confirm my thoughts or who the possible artist might be, you can contact Don Shelton at this link here: http://portrait-miniature.blogspot.com/

He's helped me in the past and is damn good at what he does regarding miniature portraits. Good luck, CX!