Cased Sixteenth Plate Early Tintype Portrait of Soulful Looking Man in Hat carved wooden bird in cage The watercolored rounds representing progressively

The watercolored rounds representing progressively diminished color intensities are paper cutouts

but really wonderful

) Ambrotype in very good condition

Just the best silhouette and proportions on this figure

with the questions posed by a suitor and the answer returned by the recipient

Cased Sixteenth Plate Early Tintype Portrait of Soulful Looking Man in Hat carved wooden bird in cage The watercolored rounds representing progressivelyThis one is very much about the whole package for me the very small case, with the gold trim around the interior edges and embossed flower on the exterior, and then his very tightly cropped, mugshot like face. Of the scale and manner made to be carried around close to one's heart during the subject's long absences in order to keep them very close and not to forget what they look like!:) Or so I imagine. Feels very immediate and also very dear. 2" x 1