May You Be Happy, 19th C. Paper Lace Love Token Under Glass christ arm framed in walnut I believe

framed in walnut I believe and with finely carved wooden pins holding the corners together

Each block measures 2 1/2” x 1 1/4” x 5/8”

active in the last few decades of the 19th c

A little wear to the paper along the edges and a little minor staining and age toning

with a red ribbon threaded through two holes at top that I believe likely bound it with some others

May You Be Happy, 19th C. Paper Lace Love Token Under Glass christ arm framed in walnut I believeA beautiful example of one of these layered paper lace and embossed die cut valentines, or love tokens, and an early one c. 1860s 70s I believe. I would guess this one was actually given on the occasion of a birth or christening, with the hopes of a happy life being imparted to the child, and, it looks to me, a babtism occurring at top center though it also looks a bit like a baby in a bird cage! Detail photos give the best sense of the layering and