Antique Belgian Trade Card P. Halin Vandepitte Bruges Straw Hats ( Regency Bonnets , Top Hat etc retailer ) CARTE PORCELAINE

Let's make something clear first, although called "Carte Porcelaine" this is NOT a porcelain object. It is PAPER. measures 5" x 4".

It is a special kind of paper, which one online source calls "porcelain coated", another "enameled", produced between 1840's and 1860's in Belgium only, Bruge or Ghent. The surface of the paper was so smooth (and somewhat glossy) that the printers could lithograph on these surfaces very detailed images. This process involved some harmful chemicals (mercury) and in the 1860's manufacture of these cards ceased.

The cards are collected today for their exceptional lithography. On-line, you'll find, among others, a few terrific examples from a LARGE ( said to number thousands) collection of the Princeton University.

This is a French language card and was issued for a straw hat maker and seller in Bruge. Ladies regency bonnets predominate, and various models are signed. To my surprise, there is straw hat top, and I thought: who would were that?? And then I membered that men in some regions of Sweden wore straw top hats as part of the folk costume. There are other examples of straw top hats in folk costume. Maybe "regular" gentlemen ( retailer not dressed in folk togs) wore these in daytime for carriage rides, races, some other elegant outings.

The two things I really like on this card are the two squiggly things at the top, last photo. These are probably straw bands for decoration ladies bonnets. To me , they show some affinity with the extremely difficult to find and extremely collectible Swiss straw lace.

CONDITION OF CARD: Surface good. Back is glued to blue "album page" paper.