Rare, Curious Victorian Parts of a Cat Card Game - 51 Cards handmade case beautifully weathered and smooth

beautifully weathered and smooth

I do know she was a graduate of Tufts University and spent much of her life in the nearby Boston suburb of Belmont

or big heart for the hat

which if one looks closely seems to advertise a store selling shoes and clothing in what I believe reads Hagerstown (Maryland

Rare, Curious Victorian Parts of a Cat Card Game - 51 Cards handmade case beautifully weathered and smoothWonderfully strange! I have searched and searched and found no others like these out there, which I am sure are Victorian era, and I might think fairly early at that. I have to think these were part of a card game, perhaps a bit like rummy, where one would draw and discard, seeking to amass a complete cat! A few lucky cards combine two parts head + tail, or a pair of front or hind paws rather than just one and there are a couple of blank ones too.