$5,000
Sold
sold
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Description
3" (8 cm.) h. painting. An oval oil painting on copper depicting a young a full length portrait of a young lady with well-rendered costume and accessories, framed in an embossed oval case. Along with the painting are 13 mica overlays with hand-painted details of various costumes which, when placed over the oil painting, transform the young girl into various people, both men and women, in a variety of detailed costumes, thus being an early "paper doll". In overall fair/good condition with wear to leather case, flaking on mica painting. France, mid-1700s, known as "metamorphoses", the overlay paintings became a popular fad for the aristocracy during this time, with various sets believed to represent important historical events or intrigues; they are extremely rare to find, and this example, depicting a full-length portrait figure is especially rare.