Elegant and Finely Produced Marriage-Themed 8vo Valentine with Victorian Scrap

London, 1850. Very good to near-fine. Letter folds, light toning and spotting.. A particularly finely produced 8vo valentine with a floral and marriage theme. Bifolium (7.5" by 4.75") with delicate and intricate embossed border, and scalloped edge. In the center of the upper leaf is chromolithographed in green an organic floral oval border with an eight-line poem on love and marriage in the center. At the bottom is a small bouquet of hand-painted floral Victorian scrap, and at the top is a gold scrap embossed and die cut to resemble a bird in flight. Overall, a very elegant example showing multiple processes/techniques used by Valentine makers of the day. A thought of marriage union
In the opening blossom glows,
And whispers in the fragrance
Of the pure white bridal rose;
And for thy fair young genius
There are laurels fresh and green,
Which the unassuming mignonette
Looks meekly up between.