Object Description
This exquisite brooch brings together two moments in time: an original French Rococo portrait miniature from around 1780, set into a beautifully crafted Georgian silver and paste mount dating to approximately 1800.
The hand-painted portrait captures an elegant lady in soft pastels, her powdered hair adorned with flowers, her gaze calm and composed.
These miniatures were deeply personal – sometimes depictions of loved ones, sometimes idealised images inspired by the aristocratic icons of the day.
In this case, the sitter may not have been known to the owner, but would have embodied the refined grace and style of the French court.
Around 1800, the miniature was set into a closed-back silver mount, encircled by glittering paste stones -high-lead glass cut to mimic the sparkle of diamonds in candlelight.
This later mounting reflects the Georgian taste for sentimental, luminous jewellery and allowed the portrait to be worn as a brooch, perhaps to evening gatherings or as a fashionable accessory.
The result is a rare and poignant jewel: part artwork, part adornment, and fully historic.
A delicate and wearable relic of both Rococo elegance and Regency craftsmanship, preserved with remarkable care.
Available exclusively at ELTONS, Grays Antique Market, Mayfair, London.