The charm is immense, and condition is really very very good for this type of item. This is a calling card tray, c. 1889. In the 1800s, the French souvenir trade in items like this was excellent, expanding to include similar made items for foreign locations, too. You see the souvenir items like little glass boxes with a single back-painted glass scene of Paris. We all love those! But these trays are our favorites. This one is one of 3 I'm listing today so I'll talk about it specifically: Seven panels of back-painted glass views of Paris monuments, this one is oval and is centered by the Palais d'Eau and the Trocadero, part of the 1889 World Expo at which the Eiffel Tower was first erected. Perfectly preserved, you see it as the tourists would have while standing at the Eiffel Tower. The 6 scenes around it, each a small round scene, shows monuments of Paris that a tourist would want to remember. You see Noter Dam, The Obelisk of Concord, Madaleine Basilica, Napoleon's Arch, Hotel d'Ville, the St. Jacques Tower of Chatelet.
Very good condition for age and type, the polished brass framework is very fine, no breaks. There are, likewise, no breaks in any of the 7 glass panels though there is a little disruption in the paint behind them - look closely. An exceptional item for the collector of World's Fair items as well as eglomise and Grand Tour souvenirs.
