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A late Victorian shellwork diorama in the shape of a heart, featuring a chromolithograph of Grace Darling (1815–1842). Grace Darling was an English lighthouse keeper's daughter who helped her father rescue survivors from the shipwrecked vessel 'Forfarshire' in 1838, an act which brought her national fame. In front of the image is an artfully arranged display of shells and seaweed, creating a 3D effect to the view. All encased within a hand-blown glass bubble. In good condition.
 
These shellwork dioramas were produced in the late Victorian/early Edwardian period as souvenirs of coastal towns and seaside locations, often bought by sailors as presents for their sweethearts.