French 19th Century Reversal Image, Which is My Portrait? elegant plate and 4 5/8" in diameter

and 4 5/8" in diameter at base

and in excellent condition to boot

3 3/4 inches tall

with rounded corners on the wooden handle at either end

Not a bad reference to keep near at hand

French 19th Century Reversal Image, Which is My Portrait? elegant plate and 4 5/8" in diameterWhat a curiosity! I was pretty excited to find this little antique French reversal drawing, which I believe dates to the 1840s or so, when optical illusions because a big thing in France (check out the phnakisticopes published by Joseph Plateau) and reversal portraits were circulated. (I'm including one by Daumier in the photos) This one has a very contemporary feel to me, perhaps in part because the human face keeps reminding me of the late great