Two Early Boxed Valentine Arrangements in Original Presentations

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11" (28 cm.) box. diams. 6" man. Each is a round light-wood box covered with early transfer-print paper and with interior lavishly fitted with a fantasy scene surrounded by a dream of flowers and buds, lined with woven puffy flax threads accented with silk flowers, buds, and leaves, and curly tinsel trim. In the center of one box is a 6" gentleman with paper mache head, hands and feet, and cloth wrapped body, wearing brown cotton jacket, tall black hat, and silk flax trousers, astride a white horse made of still more flax threads. The interior of the second box depicts a 5" lady doll with paper mache head, hands, and feet, and cloth wrapped body, wearing exquisite rose silk dress embroidered with matching flax threads and wearing a grand wide-brimmed silk bonnet. Condition: generally excellent, paper worn on lid. Comments: probably English, early 1800s, the flax and silk thread work was a popular parlor craft of the era, occasionally resulting in splendid arrangements such as this, which were presented as Valentine gifts; the work is discussed in Janet Johl's Still More About Dolls, pages 79-81. Value Points: beautifully-preserved with strong colors well-intact, imaginative design of horse is especially delightful. Ex-Collections of Marianne Bodmer and then Estelle Johnston.