Don't Forget Mother! Antique Frit Glass Motto Paperweight 1890 playing cards which opens all the way

which opens all the way out--though one needs to be a bit gentle as the weight of the glass makes it want to tilt forward

(My guess it that a child many years ago went to work on it with a sharp tool

Perhaps this was a railroad dining car plate for the Northern Pacific

Albumen print mounted to card

Definitely 19th century and I'd guess more Civil War era than end of the century

Don't Forget Mother! Antique Frit Glass Motto Paperweight 1890 playing cards which opens all the wayI've become very taken with old frit glass sentiment motto paperweights (frit essentially means ground glass, used for the text, which floats inside the clear glass orb about midway up). To me they feel close kin to the old silver foil and reverse painted scalloped glass signs that have come so precious, and it is my feeling that these paperweights will become increasingly coveted too, because they're so great looking and of a nice small scale to