Double sixth-plate tintype grouping housed facing each other within matching oval stamped-brass mats and foliate preservers in a full leatherette case, ca. 1861- 1866. 

A charming double image grouping of what appears to be a family's three children. The leftmost plate is the star -  a rare and culturally significant studio portrait of two brothers. The elder boy is seated in a dark tailored jacket and trousers with an arm resting affectionately around his younger brother. He stands in a heavy pleated overcoat and cap, proudly holding an upright staff bearing a hand-tinted green, white, and red vertical Italian tricolor flag (il Tricolore). 

The right plate, certainly equal in beauty if not content, features a charming companion studio portrait of a slightly elder sister depicted three-quarter length, leaning against a drape-covered parlor pedestal table. She wears a light-toned printed dress with lace collar and necklace, her cheeks delicately accented with rose hand-tinting. Her elaborate bonnet rests on the tabletop. 

Following the formal proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy under King Victor Emmanuel II on 17 March, 1861, the green, white, and red tricolor became the international symbol of Italian national identity and the Risorgimento. In America, where many Italian immigrants served in Union regiments (such as the Garibaldi Guard), displays of Italian national pride on the home front were deeply felt. Images showing children displaying non-U.S. national emblems from this period are exceedingly scarce in early American  photography.

[Ambrotype, Cased Image, Italian-American, Italy, Italian Flag, Tricolore, Risorgimento, Victor Emmanuel II, Garibaldi, Home Front, Children, Sibling Portrait, Sixth-Plate, Thermoplastic Case, Union Case, Littlefield Parsons, Berg 1-32, 19th Century Photography]

Very good to fine condition overall. The ambrotypes display crisp definition, strong contrast, and clean surfaces. Hand-coloring on the flag remains vibrant and distinct.