Case
Accessories
Inventory number
2018.10.11.4.AC.GL.C1810.FRDescription
Eyeglasses case or Billet doux made of straw marquetry depicting on one side a man with two doves on the top. On the other side, there is a woman holding an envelope surmounted by the monogram "J-C".This eyeglasses case was probably made as a wedding gift according to the two doves as a religious symbol of peace in marriage, the JC Monogram for Jesus Christ and the envelope which symbolise the try to do the best of yourself and the beauty of the soul.
Straw marquetry is a craft very similar to that of wood marquetry. Veneer, wheat straw, oat straw or other type of straw was used to mimic the varying shades of wood. The straws was soaked, split and ironed. They could also be tinted from pale gold to deepest dark brown in order to obtain a variety of tones needed for the pattern. The most famous straw marquetry was practised by prisoners of war from the Napoleonic wars but there were also the nuns in France and Switzerland making a variety of items using straw marquetry.
Material
StrawOrigin
circa 1810 FranceDimensions
Width : 2 cmLength : 3 cm
Height : 11 cm