Gallant shellgemme in gold setting, probably France around 1890

A stately gentleman in a feathered hat and frock coat stands against a garden wall. A vase with flowers on the balustrade, a rustling shrub in the background form the prospectus for his appearance. Elegantly he stands in contrapposto, his right arm resting on a stick. His left hand rests on his hip. He looks to the left. Is it an invitation, this gesture, to join him? To stroll through the garden, to seek a winking conversation, perhaps to drink tea in the shade of the rose arbour? The small, yet richly detailed scalloped cameo with the likeness of this gentleman in 18th century costume is set in gold. Fine hand-sawn vines form its frame, echoing the garden theme. The framing is done in rose gold, which picks up the warm hue of the shell and contributes to the warm, summery mood of the scene - It seems as if the sun of a warm Sunday shimmers through the centuries into today. The brooch was probably made in France in the last years of the 19th century. The pleasure of dealing with the past had just been rediscovered by the courtly world of the Baroque and Rococo periods, and this brooch fits into that fashion. It is beautifully preserved, only the pin and its safety snap were renewed in later times.

Estimate:$559.23

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