Photo Album or Scrapbook with a Portrait of Stalin on the Cover Hand-Carved on Wood, circa 1930s-40s.
Measures 11 ½" x 7 ½", contains 20 cardboard pages with corner slits for inserting photos or other paper mementos. The hard cover is bound in red leatherette. Binding is provided by a red twisted pair cord with straw-colored tassels at the ends. The front cover features a solid wood plaque inlaid into the cover, measuring 9" x 6 ¼", coated in black lacquer. Stalin's profile portrait is hand-carved in the center, the artwork being obviously done by a talented master of graphic arts.
In very good condition. The leatherette of the cover shows moderate soiling, worn-off leatherette at the corners, and at the head and tail of the spine. The back cover shows a 1-inch separation from the spine. The binding cord is intact and shows no wear. The wooden plaque shows few tiny scratches and scuffs to the lacquer, some of which can be seen only at a certain angle against a bright light. The horizontal lines on the background lacquer look like warping of the lacquer or the top layer of the wood under it but, in our opinion, they provide an artistic benefit, creating a "windy" feeling which adds liveliness to the imagery. The internal pages are mostly clean, showing just a couple of small stains, probably glue.
Please note that the medal in our last photo is for size reference.
Item# 41611
$350.00 Add to cart
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