End page of a valentine card. Handfinished, layered valentine's card comprising a top sheet of pink and gilded lace paper with a central heart shaped motif cameo embossed with an image of three flying cherubs and a dove. This heart flaps down to reveal an applied paper decoration below printed with a blue ribbon marked 'Love, Truth, Constance and Affection'. The back of the sheet is decorated with an applied smaller sheet of silver and white lace paper decorated with a central paper print of a young girl, head and shoulders only. The inner sheet is of lilac lace paper with a floral design surrounding an oval shaped central area. Applied to this area is a paper panel printed with a bunch of flowers. Below is applied a garland of pink frosted paper leaves and silver and gilded leaves. This sheet is stuck to the back of the card.
http://www.museumoflondonprints.com/image.php?id=65612&idx=1&fromsearch=true
I am not aware of any St Valentine's Day celebration or decoration in Australia in the 19th or 20th century, yet clearly your card is Victorian.
ReplyDeleteAll our customs were British, so I wonder what happened to poor old Valentine.
And a Happy Valentines day to you!
ReplyDelete(just squeaking in under the wire at 23.40!)
I hadn't read before:
ReplyDeleteThe Europeans also believed that on February 14th the birds began to choose their mates.
In fact Chaucer, in his "Parlement of Foules," wrote: "For this was Seynt Valentine's Day when every foul cometh ther to choose his mate."
http://www.petals.com.au/info/valentines.htm