SOLD 1817-18 Hand-painted Rewards of Merit with Watercolors and Incredible Hand-sewn Mends antique ink drawing which also reminds me of

which also reminds me of those old mystery boxes where one sticks one's hand inside and feels around at some unknown thing

and New York City College

and a minor flaw in the paper (not a tear) resulting in a faint horizontal line that runs across the middle of the vulture's body

and certainly with well more than a hundred years on it I have to think it has opened some letters bearing pretty sad news

SOLD 1817-18 Hand-painted Rewards of Merit with Watercolors and Incredible Hand-sewn Mends antique ink drawing which also reminds me ofI am COMPLETELY in love with these, and especially the top one in the first photo, with this marvelous watercolor border, fabulous urn of flowers watercolor on reverse, and the most incredible hand sewn mending I've ever seen. Just look at that! All these tiny tiny cream thread stitches that repaired two tears long long ago, telling us that this was a very very prized reward of merit indeed! It is a bit ironic that someone more recently decided a