Lady's handheld fire screen with moving panorama.
(Germany? c. 1830). Fire screen, with etching and aquatint card frame around a hand-colored engraved panorama on wove paper. The panorama, which traverses through a pastoral scene, a country estate, a grove, and a monument overlooking a walled city, moves laterally by means of functioning rollers. The framing aquatint continues the pastoral motif, showing a shepherd and his flock, two women reclining under a tree, and a hunter and his dog. The panorama is thin enough to be considered a hold-to-the-light illustration; when held before a fire, for example, the emanating light would give the illusion of ambient sunlight over the scene. The frame has gilt edges, and retains its turned wooden handle. A remarkable specimen, showing rubbing to edges and browning to the frame and one section of the panorama, an obvious favorite that was visible most often, with a tear to the top edge partway through the panorama. Item #31674
Price: $11,500.00