This is a Victorian Trade Card, probably from the 1880s. These cards were used as advertisments for businesses, and I believe were given out free to customers. Many people collected them, pasted them into scrapbooks and such, and over time I suppose had a very eclectic set of small pictures. Taken as a whole they are very good documentation of 19th century fashion, social history & values. Maybe.
Frequently the illustrations had nothing to do with the business they were used to advertise. Printing on he back of this one advertises J. Henrich & Co, Teas, Coffees & Spices, 503 N. Third Ave., New York, which has nothing to do with a couple of miniature toga wearing children setting a large egg shell afloat. But it's interesting just the same.
Also, its quite possible this same picture was used to advertise a completely different business - I've seen examples of that along the way. This was a time when any kind of truth in advertising laws did not exist, and not only did completely different businesses use the same pictures to advertise their product, they also made pretty much any claim about it they could think up. Lots of snake oil out there in the 19th century world.
Update: Sold!
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