Antique French Lace Communion Card — St. Joseph with Child Jesus — c. 1880s–1890s

Beautiful 19th-century French Catholic lace-border communion card depicting Saint Joseph holding the Christ Child beneath a palm tree.

The front features a finely engraved devotional image titled “St. Joseph — Modèle d’une parfaite communion.” The reverse contains a full French prayer text, with faint period handwriting at the lower margin, adding personal historical character.

The lace border is original, intact, and evenly pierced, with no major losses — a key value point for collectors. Paper tone is consistent with age, with light foxing and soft edge wear only. No repairs.

These lace holy cards were commonly issued for First Communion or confirmation in France and Belgium and were often kept in missals or family bibles. Surviving examples in clean condition are increasingly scarce.

A strong piece for collectors of:

• Catholic devotional ephemera

• French religious prints

• 19th-century lace paper

• Folk and spiritual imagery