Farnese Hercules, From Behind, Large Grand Tour Albumen Print in Original Sleeve black cloth ball with a brass latch that

with a brass latch that holds the top half of the writing surface closed

One of my favorite faces ever

which I am guessing dates from the 1940s or so

the equivalent to "foo dogs" in Chinese culture) repeating around the perimeter of both top and bottom halves of the box

dense on the front and sparser on the reverse

Farnese Hercules, From Behind, Large Grand Tour Albumen Print in Original Sleeve black cloth ball with a brass latch thatThere is a dealer at an antique mall near Boston I frequent who has been doling out late 19th century Grand Tour albumen prints of sculptures in the collection of the Napoli Museo (National Archaeological Museum of Naples) a few at a time; I keep snapping them up, of course how to resist this view of Hercules??? With apples from the garden of Hesperides in his very large hand, which makes them look the size of walnuts:) and the skin of the Nemean lion