Daguerreotype of Child in Plaid Vest with Strange Hands in Fine Thermoplastic Case

I love the androgynousness of the young subject in this daguerreotype, and his (I presume) plaid vest, and the way the posts on the back of the chair rise from his shoulders like wings. There is also a mysteriousness about the hands, which seem to emerge from another body to wrap around the waist of the subject (as in a hidden mother), raising the question of whether this might in fact be a post mortem. I'm not sure, but I love the strangeness. Housed in a wonderful, heavy, thermoplastic case with amber colored velvet opposite the photograph.

Closed, case measures 3 3/4" x 3 5/16" x 1 1/16". Sixth plate daguerreotype: 2 ¾" x 3 ¼" (Sight: 2 5/8" x 2 1/4".)