Mother of Pearl Card Cases  Bruce Boyer has been writing for
Drake’s new blog and I’ve been admiring (what I assume to be)
his card case. I found pictures of a similar case at this
antique’s site. It’s not nearly as nice as Boyer’s, but it’s of
the object alone and close up.   Card cases such as these were
common among well-to-do Europeans during the Victorian era. They
were invented in China, but became popular on Europe’s continent
during the 19th century, then quickly spread to England and
America. They were usually made from mother-of-pearl, sterling
silver, or paper mache, and would often be decorated (though
men’s cases tended to be more simple and than women’s).  Calling
cards were integral to Victorian social life and there were all
sorts of sophisticated rules governing their use. For example,
if you wanted to visit someone without an invitation, you would
leave your card with her servant. If she wanted you to visit,
she would send a servant to deliver her card to you. If you
received her card by mai