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Lot 397

SCOTTISH VALENTINE, or PUZZLE PURSE

29 – 30 August 2012, 11:00 BST
Edinburgh

£2,000 - £4,000

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SCOTTISH VALENTINE, or PUZZLE PURSE

Decorated in polychrome and pen, a series of geometric patterns set within the folds of the puzzle purse, the purse is designed to fold down so that the verses match up across the folds, opening it reveals a 17 stanza hand written love poem, this square is set within a circular border with further poetical lines to the circumference, interspersed with four hearts containing further poetry. The images to the border depict 'eyes', 'hearts' and a symbol of 'eternity' these images could be read as a Rebus, 475 x 470mm, dated: 'February, the 13th, 1784'

Footnotes

A puzzle purse is a square piece of paper folded into an envelope like packet, the paper is folded into thirds in both directions to form a grid of nine squares, the creased top is then collapsed on top of itself to form a twist top, the wings can then be tucked in to adjacent layers to make it sit flat.

Rebuses are groups of letters, numbers, pictures, etc. that represent words or phrases.

Extracts:
O happy they! who feel thy power
Those souls of gentle name
But happier still the enchanting hour
They meet with mutual flame

Love Cupid with his fatal dart - hath Deeply wounded my
poor - heart; And hath Betwixt us set a cross Which
makes me sore lamenting loss.

A frilly nymph whose bright sway
Does every female charm display,
By cupid and Minerva's art,
Does charm my soul and ravish'd heart.

Provenance: the valentine was inherited from the owner's grandmother whose family had worked in service in Aberdeenshire. It was displayed in the People's Palace, Glasgow during the City of Love Exhibition in 2002.

Additional information

Bid now on these items

Signed to Spencer Tracy 1952 Hemingway, Ernest. 1899-1961. The Old Man and the Sea, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1952.

A Presentation Copy of Kennedy's First Book to Spencer Tracy. Kennedy, John F. 1917-1963. Why England Slept. New York: Wilfred Funk, Inc., 1940.

ADVERTISING POSTERfor 'The Suffragette' newspaper, [c.1913-1914]

ILLUMINATED ADDRESS – CLARA CODD Illuminated printed address signed by Emmeline Pankhurst, [1909]

MUSIC & RECORDINGS – ETHEL SMYTH Collection of printed music, song sheets and records, [c.1911-1912]