Six Spades, Antique Playing Cards, Presumed Belgian, Late 18th C. exquisite scarf and features graphite

and features graphite

including baskets

made of porcelain encased in a very finely woven wicker shell

25ʺl × 1ʺd × 2ʺh

which to me possesses all the beauty of a Brancusi

Six Spades, Antique Playing Cards, Presumed Belgian, Late 18th C. exquisite scarf and features graphiteI first purchased a batch of heart pips from this very same deck from a seller in Holland, who has been parsing them out a few at a time. When he posted these I snatched them up immediately I think they are just extraordinarily beautiful! I believe they date to the 1780s or so and are likely Belgian, which was a hub for playing card production in the 18th century, largely for export to England. I just love their imperfectly cut, square edged,