The charm is immense, and condition is really very very good for this type of item. This is a calling card tray, c. 1870s. 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: Nine panels of back-painted glass views of Paris monuments, this one is round and is centered by the Pantheon, Paris, home of the original of Foucault's pendulums. The 8 scenes around it, each a small round scene, shows monuments of Paris that a tourist would want to remember. You see Noter Dame, The Obelisk of Concord, Madaleine Basilica, The Arch de Triomphe, Bastille, Bourse, St. Severin, Medici Palace (now the National Assembly) Napoleon's Arch, Hotel d'Ville. Did I get them all?
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.
