Diminutive c. 1850 Handmade Preserved Sea Moss Album, New Bedford, MA, 32 Samples dark brown I'd set it on an

I'd set it on an open shelf so that I could just enjoy looking at it

with a few tiny brown spots on one side that appear original to its making

A tiny bit of age toning but excellent condition

but I've been admiring old Buddhist spiritual drawings of late and keeping an eye out for antique hand-drawn and painted examples on paper--so was thrilled to find this beautiful mandala

Cards are full-sized

Diminutive c. 1850 Handmade Preserved Sea Moss Album, New Bedford, MA, 32 Samples dark brown I'd set it on anSmall in scale but quite a treasure I think, which I like an extra lot for the fact that the sea moss specimens were collected in the whaling capital of New Bedford, MA, right around the time (c. 1850) that Melville was writing Moby Dick, which was inspired by it. It appears to me that this album, with shell shaped leather cover and tissue paper separating each page, has barely been opened since it was created; each of its 32 specimens is in excellent