C. 1880s British Cabinet Card of Handsome Young Strongman tin and ebony dominoes 12 3/8” x 9 5/8”

12 3/8” x 9 5/8”

though most commonly carved of ivory

and the watermark date do make one wonder if it could have been the original source

the checkerboard is oriented horizontally

This gorgeous box is a fine example of Yosegi-zaiku

C. 1880s British Cabinet Card of Handsome Young Strongman tin and ebony dominoes 12 3/8” x 9 5/8”My knowledge of 19th c. photographic conventions doesn't tell me for sure whether this muscular bare chested young man was a boxer, or wrestler, or a sideshow strongman, but I might guess the latter based on what one can see of his pants and belt, which appear informal rather than any sort of uniform. The cabinet card is stamped Liverpool (England) on the reverse, but I must say that the aura like ring of patterning around him, a fabric backdrop I