Jewellery and Watches

A collection of five stick pins, the principle example mounted with an oval enamelled portrait panel, circa 1880s, finely painted in the Limoges style to depict the head and shoulders of a young woman in Renaissance costume, her long auburn wavy hair surmounted by a gilt headdress with rose-cut diamond highlights, against a red guilloche enamel ground, the panel mounted to a gold pierced work setting, together with a stick pin mounted with a serpent head terminal (from a Victorian necklace), a gold beaded example, an opal set example and a cornelian coloured cabochon set example; first stick pin panel dimensions 16mm x 12mm. £200-300

The first stick pin is painted in the Limoges style, an example of the detail achieved by skilled enamelists working with this technique. The Renaissance revival style became popular with some jewellers from the 1880s, with many of the woman portrayed in such portraits said to be famous actresses.

Limoges enamelling developed in 15th century France and involves using very finely sifted glazes mixed with essential oils - clove oil for the detailed areas and lavender oil for the background and larger areas, resulting in an enamel with a bolder and glossier finish than most other painted enamels. The best known Arts and Crafts designer to use Limoges enamelling to great effect, and probably responsible for encouraging others to do so also, was Charles Ashbee.

This lot has been kindly donated and is being sold on behalf of Oxfam GB (Charity No: 612172).