Hand Carved Sandalwood Chinese Card Holder. XIX Century. Very Good Condition.

This great Chinese card case made of sandal wood is a charming and delicate article, perfect for a very special gift. It is an antique piece, carved by hand and manufactured from a solid block of the aromatic wood. In spite of being quite old (it was made in the 19th century), the case is in excellent condition. The card cases front side is profusely decorated with hand-carved motives. Most of the surface is covered by an intricate background composed of flowers, leaves and stem that intertwine with each other, creating a very decorative image. Some big camellias stand out among the plants and the leaves. In the center of the piece we can see an oval frame with a traditional scene carved inside. The scene shows three male figures.One of the figures is sitting behind a short fence and the other two are standing and hold rough bags. All of them are covered by a big trees canopy, just beside a traditional house. At the back of the case we can see another oval frame with a similar scene deeply carved in the wood, but in this case the rest of the surface is flat: there is no carved decoration whatsoever, except for the small scene at the top (in the cases lid). This scene is another deep carving that repeats the figure that sits to the left in the bottom scene. Measurements: Width: 2.5 in/6.5 cm. Height: 4.1 in/10.5 cm.