Intricate 19th Century Scherenschnitte Paper Cut with Birds and Flowers and Handwriting antique spool Painted a sort of gold

Painted a sort of gold with varnish over top I believe

The dealer I purchased this from noted that these two women are on an "Audubon walk"--popularized by early conservationists (many of them women) in Audubon Magazine

I am not at all on expert on Mexican dance and festival masks

developed in the 1830s for the India and China trade and popular for the Opium trade

Shlomo Angel) sought to identify essential

Intricate 19th Century Scherenschnitte Paper Cut with Birds and Flowers and Handwriting antique spool Painted a sort of goldPhotos do a poor job of conveying the richness and visceral beauty of this 19th century example of Scherenschnitte, entirely cut by hand in its presence, one can really feel the careful labor of each tiny cut in a very intimate way. (Detail photos give a better sense.) And in that intimate view of such laborious work are all the tiny imperfections too, which for me are a good bit of what make it feel so special and very human. Hearts and birds and