Six Spades, Antique Playing Cards, Presumed Belgian, Late 18th C. flask A very elegant piece that

A very elegant piece that would hold its own amid any collection of beautiful boxes

I believe this piece is specifically by Wilhelm Kagel Jr

this emphatically handmade ashtray at least has a very strong make-do trench art sensibility

and voluminous purple skirt of woman on the other--and then that great view of the landscape behind them through huge open window

and a half-circle of black with a purple star inside for the nose

Six Spades, Antique Playing Cards, Presumed Belgian, Late 18th C. flask A very elegant piece thatI first purchased a batch of heart pips from this very same deck from a seller in Holland, who has been parsing them out a few at a time. When he posted these I snatched them up immediately I think they are just extraordinarily beautiful! I believe they date to the 1780s or so and are likely Belgian, which was a hub for playing card production in the 18th century, largely for export to England. I just love their imperfectly cut, square edged,