Offered by Matthew Holder
Gold and Enamel Love Token Brooch with Allegorical Motif.
France, late 18th century.
Measurements: 2.2 × 1.6 cm (excluding brooch pin).
Weight: 4.1 grams.
Materials: Gold, guilloché enamel, seed pearls, cut and painted brown hair on white ground, domed glass.
A finely worked navette-shaped love token brooch, set in gold and bordered by a band of translucent red guilloché enamel over an engine-turned ground. The outer frame is encircled with individually set seed pearls in closed-back gold mounts. The central miniature, composed of finely cut brown hair with painted detail on a pale ground, is preserved beneath a domed glazed cover. A small detached gold fragment, formerly part of the altar motif, remains enclosed within the composition.
The image presents a delicate allegory of romantic fidelity. Two joined hearts rest upon a flaming altar, each pierced by Cupid’s arrow and ornamented with decorative sprays. Above them, a single dove is shown perched upon a crown or coronet, symbolising love, peace, and constancy. The iconography reflects the sentimental language of the late 18th century, merging classical symbolism with intimate emotional expression. The reverse is fitted with a gold pin and C-clasp, and retains a later safety chain.
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