{"product_id":"french-gilt-brass-tension-easel-photo-frame","title":"*RESERVED FOR LAUREL* Antique French Gilt Brass Tension Easel Picture Frame, Circa 1890","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eA French gilt brass table easel frame from the Belle Époque period, built around a spring-tension mechanism that holds a glass panel at a fixed display angle without a conventional backing or surround. The format was designed for the carte-de-visite era, when small portrait photographs were exchanged and displayed as a matter of social custom, and the engineering is elegant in its simplicity: a central brass spine connects a cast acanthus and anthemion crest at the top to a pierced rocaille scrollwork base rail below, with two curved legs spreading outward to form the tripod stance and a coil spring controlling the tension. A photograph or small print slides behind the glass and is held in place by the frame's own pressure. The gilding has worn to a warm amber brass across most surfaces, the period glass retains its characteristic green-tint edges, and the whole piece stands with the slightly imperfect geometry that comes only with genuine age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e[d]Type | Table easel photograph frame\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e[d]Material | Gilt brass with period glass\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e[d]Origin | France\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e[d]Age | Circa 1880 to 1905, Belle Époque\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e[d]Style | Belle Époque, Rococo revival and neo-classical ornament\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e[d]Overall Size | 10 in H x 7 in D x 5.75 in W\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e[d]Glass Insert Size | 8.5 in H x 5.75 in W at base, 3 in W at top\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e[d]Crest | Cast gilt brass anthemion and acanthus cartouche with symmetrical C-scroll wings\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e[d]Base Rail | Pierced rocaille scrollwork gallery with acanthus detailing\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e[d]Mechanism | Original coil spring tension spine, fully functional\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e[d]Feet | Two cast foliate ball feet\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e[condition]\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThe frame is in good antique condition consistent with its age. The gilding has worn significantly across all surfaces, leaving a warm amber patina on the underlying brass throughout. This is honest age wear rather than damage, and the piece is visually cohesive in its current state. The spring tension mechanism is fully functional and holds the glass firmly at the display angle. The period glass is present and free of chips or cracks; the green-tint edges visible at the edges are characteristic of glass made before modern float glass production and confirm the glass is original to the piece. The brass armature legs are not perfectly straight, which is consistent with age and handling over more than a century, but this does not affect the structural integrity or the frame's ability to stand and display correctly. The base rail retains its full pierced rocaille gallery with no missing elements, though some verdigris patina is present across the brass. There are two cast foliate ball feet rather than four; it is not possible to confirm from in-hand inspection whether the frame originally had four feet or was made as a two-footed design, but the piece stands stably as configured.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Austyn Marie Design","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51440393945366,"sku":"AMD-03178","price":225.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0896\/4623\/5926\/files\/June_Enland_2026-3173.jpg?v=1781722900","url":"https:\/\/austynmariedesign.com\/products\/french-gilt-brass-tension-easel-photo-frame","provider":"Austyn Marie Design","version":"1.0","type":"link"}