This is a striking and richly detailed antique Christmas gel postcard, dating to the early 20th century, circa 1905–1910, produced in Saxony, Germany, a major center of high-quality postcard manufacturing during the Golden Age of postcards. The front presents a beautifully rendered and sentimental holiday scene featuring a solemn, Old World Santa Claus leaning through a window to present a doll to a young girl clasping her hands in anticipation. Santa is depicted in a long red hooded robe with green gloves and a flowing white beard—an earlier, more folkloric interpretation of Father Christmas that predates the standardized modern Santa image. Evergreen boughs and pinecones frame the scene above, reinforcing the traditional Christmas theme. This card is a gel postcard (also known as a gelatine postcard), printed on a gelatin-coated paper stock that gives the image its smooth surface and richly saturated colors. Gel postcards were most commonly produced in Germany between approximately 1902 and 1912 and are especially prized by collectors for their depth of color and refined print quality. In this example, the gel printing is combined with heavy embossing and extensive gold gilt highlights, including Santa’s robe, the evergreen branches, pinecones, decorative framing, and the elegant script “Christmas Greetings” at the lower right. The gilt remains bright and reflective, adding dimension and visual appeal. The reverse is a divided back, clearly marked “Made in Saxony.” The card is unused, with no message or postal cancellation. (SOLD)
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 