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ID #SA865557
FOR SALE
£895
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Antique English Victorian Papier-mâché Card Basket
For sale by Applecross Antiques
for sale €1,047     $1,137
£895
Applecross Antiques

Applecross Antiques

Sellingantiques Verified Since Sep 2010
Browse dealers 210 items
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Id #SA865557
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Antique English Victorian Papier-mâché Card Basket

19th century
Description

This lovely Mid 19th Century Antique English Victorian Papier-mâché Card Basket bears no Maker's label, but was probably made in Wolverhampton, the centre of the papier-mâché industry in early Victorian England. Depicting a couple in the romantic setting of an abbey ruin set amongst trees, it retains it's original, softly painted decoration. Inlaid with shell pearl, this delightful scene is set within a border of gilded boughs bearing pearl shell blossoms. Original foliate ormolu handle. The whole in fine, original condition. Very faint, but sadly illegible traces of what may have been an impressed Maker's or Retailer's mark to the underside of the basket.

Love This Item ? ~ Why Not Make Us An Offer ?

BUY this fine Collector's Item NOW with your Debit / Credit Card via STRIPE our Ultra Secure Payment Gateway or via PayPal ~ Simply make your selection at the Checkout.

Date of Manufacture

Applecross Antiques has dated this Victorian Papier Mache Card Basket to the 19th Century.

Independent Date Guide ID 07058899
Dealer's Item Date19th Century
Sellingantiques Date19th Century
Sellingantiques agingItem 155-185 years old
ResultsDates match
Why Sellingantiques dated this piece to THE 19TH CENTURY:
Mother-of-pearl inlay set beneath the lacquer: mid-Victorian decorative technique.
Cast foliate brass swing handle: original pivot fixings visible on the reverse.
Hand-painted romantic ruin scene: popular subject matter of the 1850s.
Light fine scratching across the japanned underside: age and careful handling.

This Independent Date Guide was compiled by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. It works only from the photographs shown on this page and is never told the date the dealer has declared. It is a guide, not a guarantee of age, and occasional errors can occur.

Physical Dimensions
Height
24cm (9.45")
Width
29.25cm (11.52")
Depth
2.54cm (1.00")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA865557
Dealers Internal Reference
AEVPMCB-12
Dealers Notes

OUR SHIPPING POLICY Reviewed and Updated 01 October 2026

We offer worldwide shipping for all items via Royal Mail / ParcelForce Tracked Express Services at the rates shown in the following table. The shipping cost of each item, which in all cases includes ‘Loss in Transit’ insurance cover, is calculated using a combination of factors. These include the shipping destination selected during checkout, together with the weight, size and value of the item.

Very Small ~ United Kingdom ~ Free ~ European Union ~ £20 ~ Rest of the World ~ £30

Small ~ United Kingdom ~ Free ~ European Union ~ £35 ~ Rest of the World ~ £45

Medium ~ United Kingdom Free ~ European Union ~ £55 ~ Rest of the World ~ £75

Large ~ United Kingdom ~ Free ~ European Union ~ £95 ~ Rest of the World ~ £125

We are pleased to offer a Shipping Fee Discount of 20% to clients purchasing more than one item in the same order. This works in the following manner ~ The highest value item in any order will be charged the appropriate Shipping Fee at the normal rate whilst all other items will benefit from a Shipping Fee Discount of 20%

N.B. :- Please be aware that we do NOT offer insurance against damage in transit ~ Clients requiring more comprehensive insurance cover are therefore advised to seek professional advice and a written quotation from a registered Insurance Broker.

The Packing, Insurance and Shipping Fee, where appropriate, shall form an integral part of the agreed transaction cost. In the event that payment is received for goods but the Packing, Insurance and Shipping Fee remains outstanding, dispatch may, at our absolute discretion, be delayed until such time as full settlement has been completed. Clients will immediately be advised by email upon receipt of such orders in order that such situation may promptly be rectified.

Applecross agree to accept your order subject to your your unfettered agreement to and your complete acceptance of their Terms and Conditions as displayed on the Customer Services page of their primary website, https://www.applecrossantiques.com and which shall be deemed exclusively to form the basis of any Contract of Sale which may be agreed or which may be deemed to arise from the same between Applecross as the SELLER and yourself or your agents as BUYER.

Description
This lovely Mid 19th Century Antique English Victorian Papier-mâché Card Basket bears no Maker's label, but was probably made in Wolverhampton, the centre of the papier-mâché industry in early Victorian England.
“
Depicting a couple in the romantic setting of an abbey ruin set amongst trees, it retains it's original, softly painted decoration.
Applecross Antiques

Inlaid with shell pearl, this delightful scene is set within a border of gilded boughs bearing pearl shell blossoms. Original foliate ormolu handle. The whole in fine, original condition. Very faint, but sadly illegible traces of what may have been an impressed Maker's or Retailer's mark to the underside of the basket.

fig 1. An oval black lacquered papier-mache card basket featuring mother-of-pearl details, gold leaf scrollwork, a painted architectural ruin landscape, and a metal swing handle.
fig 1. Antique English Victorian Papier-mâché Card Basket

Love This Item ? ~ Why Not Make Us An Offer ?

BUY this fine Collector's Item NOW with your Debit / Credit Card via STRIPE our Ultra Secure Payment Gateway or via PayPal ~ Simply make your selection at the Checkout.

Date of Manufacture

Applecross Antiques has dated this Victorian Papier Mache Card Basket to the 19th Century.

Independent Date Report ID 07058899
Dealer's Item Date19th Century
Sellingantiques dating19th Century
Sellingantiques agingItem 155-185 years old
ResultsDates match
Why Sellingantiques dated this piece to the 19th Century:
Mother-of-pearl inlay set beneath the lacquer: mid-Victorian decorative technique.
Cast foliate brass swing handle: original pivot fixings visible on the reverse.
Hand-painted romantic ruin scene: popular subject matter of the 1850s.
Light fine scratching across the japanned underside: age and careful handling.

This is an independent date report produced by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. The process uses the photographs shown on this page. The system is never told the date the dealer has declared. This report shows that the two dates corroborate.

Height
24cm (9.45")
Width
29.25cm (11.52")
Depth
2.54cm (1.00")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA865557
Dealers Internal Ref
AEVPMCB-12
Applecross Antiques
Applecross Antiques
Sellingantiques verified Since Sep 2010

Dealers in the old, the rare and the beautiful ~

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Applecross Antiques Profile Page

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An oval black lacquered papier-mache card basket featuring mother-of-pearl details, gold leaf scrollwork, a painted architectural ruin landscape, and a metal swing handle.
1 / 3
Archive I An oval black lacquered papier-mache card basket featuring mother-of-pearl details, gold leaf scrollwork, a painted architectural ruin landscape, and a metal swing handle.

Antique English Victorian Papier-mâché Card Basket

Archive II An oval black lacquered papier-mache card basket featuring mother-of-pearl details, gold leaf scrollwork, a painted architectural ruin landscape, and a metal swing handle. View II
Archive III An oval black lacquered papier-mache card basket featuring mother-of-pearl details, gold leaf scrollwork, a painted architectural ruin landscape, and a metal swing handle. View III
Enlarged Archival View
Applecross Antiques

Applecross Antiques
Telephone 07711 802159
Location
Shrewsbury
Shropshire
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/applecross
Verified Since Sep 2010
Items For Sale 210
Items Sold 350
Applecross Antiques
Applecross Antiques
Verified Since Sep 2010
View Dealer Info
Location: Shrewsbury, Shropshire, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/applecross
Verified
Sep 2010
For Sale
210
Sold
350
An oval black lacquered papier-mache card basket featuring mother-of-pearl details, gold leaf scrollwork, a painted architectural ruin landscape, and a metal swing handle.
Antique English Victorian Papier-mâché Card Basket
Ref: SA865557
An oval black lacquered papier-mache card basket featuring mother-of-pearl details, gold leaf scrollwork, a painted architectural ruin landscape, and a metal swing handle.
Detail View 1
Detail View 2
Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectDecorative Bowls & Trays
  • Period19th century
  • StyleVictorian Gothic
  • MaterialPapier-Mache, Mother-of-Pearl, Brass
  • ColourBlack and Gold
  • MotifsMother-of-pearl inlay, Scalloped rim, Hand-painted landscape, Gilded floral scrollwork
  • SizeH 24 cm (9 in) x W 29.25 cm (12 in) x D 2.54 cm (1 in)

This mid-nineteenth-century English Victorian papier-mâché card basket displays a black lacquer finish with gold leaf scrollwork, mother-of-pearl inlay, and a hand-painted landscape depicting an abbey ruin amongst trees. The scalloped rim features gilded boughs bearing pearl shell blossoms, complemented by a painted floral arrangement at the base. An original foliate ormolu swing handle attaches to the sides, while very faint, illegible traces of an impressed mark appear on the underside. The basket measures 24 cm high, 29.25 cm wide, and 2.54 cm deep, sitting upright on a supporting display stand. Ideal for placement on a sideboard top in a traditional hallway, living room, or study, this decorative piece serves as a repository for visiting cards, letters, or small accessories. The contrasting black, gold, and iridescent shell tones integrate easily into period interior schemes, bringing traditional Victorian Gothic craftsmanship into daily domestic use.

FAQs

In 19th-century British society, visiting card baskets were placed in entryways to receive calling cards left by visiting guests as part of formal social etiquette.

Pieces were created by pasting together sheets of paper or pressing paper pulp under heat, followed by coating in black lacquer, embellishing with mother-of-pearl, hand painting, and gilding.

Authentic period items often display light craquelure in the varnish, genuine iridescent mother-of-pearl inlays, hand-applied gold leaf wear, and occasionally maker stamps from prominent workshops like Jennings & Bettridge.

Place the basket as a decorative centerpiece on a hall console, sideboard, or mantelpiece to add historical texture and contrasting black-and-gold tones to a room.

Dust gently with a clean, dry microfibre cloth, avoid exposure to moisture, detergent, or direct heat sources, and handle by the base rather than delicate applied handles.
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