Card case
19th century
Classification
costume & accessories
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Marquis Val Verde de la Sierra
Accession Number
1923-51-15
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of 19th-century social etiquette with this intriguing *Card Case* from the Smithsonian American Art Museum collection of costume and accessories. During the Victorian era, calling cards were essential for polite society—small printed cards exchanged during visits to announce one's arrival or request an audience. A card case like this would have been a refined accessory carried by gentlemen and ladies alike, protecting these social currency while signaling status and taste. Though the artist and medium remain unidentified amid ongoing research, the object's presence...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...