{"product_id":"antique-miniature-engraved-brass-easel-photo-frame-arched-laurel-border","title":"Antique Miniature Engraved Brass Easel Photo Frame Arched Laurel Border","description":"\u003cp\u003eA miniature arched easel photograph frame in brass-toned copper alloy, the face hand-engraved with sprays of laurel leaves, with its brass backing plate and folding card easel strut. The frame measures approximately 3¼ inches (8.3 cm) high and 2¼ inches (5.7 cm) wide, and the arched opening approximately 2 inches (5 cm) high and 1¼ inches (3.2 cm) wide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe frame has a raised, rounded outer edge and a stepped inner border around the opening. The top is a full semicircular arch, and the base is cut away at the centre to form two short feet. The face carries engraved decoration of continuous laurel sprays rising up each side and meeting across the arch, with two further sprays lying horizontally beneath the opening, with each leaf outlined in fine dotted cuts. On the reverse, a thin brass backing plate with an arched top sits in the recessed back of the frame, with traces of white putty or adhesive around the opening. A folding easel strut of buff card is attached to the backing plate and stands the frame upright at an angle. A small tab of the same card shows through the top of the opening. No glass is visible in the provided images, and no maker's mark, inscription, or retailer's name is visible on the front or back.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSmall engraved metal easel frames of this kind were made in large numbers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to hold small portrait photographs, and they were used to display portraits of family members, including soldiers, on desks, dressers, and mantelpieces. This example carries no marking that identifies its country of manufacture or its date, and no photograph is present, so its original use cannot be determined from the frame itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCondition shows age and handling. The face has an even brass-toned finish with light surface wear, fine scratches, and a few small dark spots, and the engraving remains clear. The reverse of the frame is darker, with copper-coloured toning, scattered spotting, and residue around the backing plate. The backing plate is slightly creased at its upper edge. The card strut is complete, with light soiling and small brown spots.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe frame is a small domestic object, suitable for displaying a small photograph or for use alongside a collection of portrait photographs of the period.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Derrittmeister Militaria Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51417410240751,"sku":"10-745","price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/9169\/5855\/files\/10-745_1.jpg?v=1793915878","url":"https:\/\/derrittmeister.com\/products\/antique-miniature-engraved-brass-easel-photo-frame-arched-laurel-border","provider":"Derrittmeister Militaria Group","version":"1.0","type":"link"}