Lush Victorian Sea Moss Composition with Cut Paper Urn, Mid 19th Century, Period Oak Frame spill and what I believe was

and what I believe was a combination of ink and graphite drawing the hair

feels like a bit of a nod to Kintsugi (Japanese pottery mending with gold or silver) too

10 7/8" x 8 13/16"

with surface patina (including some grime that could be cleaned off though I wouldn't touch it) and what feels like some softening to its edges from handling

It looks to me that there are at least four different hardwoods used and they are all pretty spectacular

Lush Victorian Sea Moss Composition with Cut Paper Urn, Mid 19th Century, Period Oak Frame spill and what I believe wasOccasionally I'll see a Victorian dried flower composition with a cut paper element, but I don't believe I've ever seen a sea moss picture like this before, with that black paper urn evoking a theorem painting stencil as well as a cut paper silhouette portrait, and I think locating it c. 1850s or so. I love sea moss pressings of all sorts (including for the fact that sea moss gathering represented an acceptable way for young women to get out in nature