19th Century Valentine Painting On Pith Paper of Scottish Poet Boy Circa 1830 RARE AF

We are excited to share with you this very rare little romantic survivor. Dating from the late Georgian period circa 1820- 1830. The rarity is the fact that it is an early Valentine, the medium on which the sentimental valentine is painted.....Pith paper, and the the subject is clearly a British/Scottish person.

Pith paintings are painted in Gouache and ink on a material called pith. Often erroneously called Rice Paper, Pith is a completely different material. It comes from a Chinese native tree called Tetrapanax Papyrifera. The stems are made up of a spongy velvety tissue which is extracted, dried, pressed and cut in to thin sheets. These sheets were the perfect medium for holding Gouache paint as it made the paint's vibrancy really stand out. Tourists to China during the 1800s loved these pith paintings, and loved to bring them home as mementos of their visit. The hey day of pitch paper production was the 1820s to 1830s.

Our depiction is unusual as it as of a Scottish boy. Most pith paper paintings from this period depict Chinese subjects, we currently cannot source another depicting a European subject!

The Scottish lad carries objects related to his trade —in this case, items one might find at a stationer's or seller of fancy goods. See his basket laden with silk ribbons each with a romantic sentiments such as Love is blind they say, Forget ne not, Think of me, Souvenir. In his other hand he carries a bunch of fliers, one reads 'To Give a Trifle for the Love of AC'. Perhaps the initials AC are of his Valentine? The Pith paper painting has had a frame attached to it of embossed paper. The entire then laid on to a sheet of plain paper with the following hand written poem:

"Let Not The Hand Of Amity Be Nice, Not The Poor Tribute Of The Heart Disdain; A Trifle May Become A Pledge of Price If Friendship Stamp It With Her Sacred Name."

The poem encourages valuing the thought, care, and emotion behind a gift rather than its monetary cost.

Housed behind old glass in an antique stained wood frame, this is a delight to behold. The perfect antique artwork for anyone with a Scottish connection, the collector of Valentine ephemera, or the romantics among us.

Size: Frame `9 3/8 inch tall by6 5/8 inch wide (24 cm by 17 cm).

Condition: As you can see from our many images there is damage to the Pitch paper evident by the missing areas. This is common with Pith paper as it is a natural material that dries out over the centuries and therefore becomes very fragile, and prone to damage. Minor age wear to the antique frame.

A fantastic opportunity to own a unique antique artwork.

Item Id: 16280/15845