This antique fob is such a beautiful piece of jewellery, originally made to wear on a watch chain and have close to hand for when you needed to stamp a wax seal, we think it makes a stunning pendant when worn on a chain.
The bottom of the fob is set with a piece of orange/red glass which has been hand carved with the with a bird sat on top of a birdcage with an open door. There's also the message 'j'aime la liberte' which is French for 'I love freedom' - such a poignant message which compliments the bird and cage design beautifully. The carved design is mirrored so when the fob is used, the design is printed into the wax the right way round.
We've not see this design of intaglio before, we believe making it quite a rare one to find. Intaglio fobs have become highly collectable, with people collecting them to keep as they are to wear and even still use to stamp wax seals.
The fob is made of a base metal with a gold coloured layer to the top. This layer has now worn away in places and the metal shows through in places from underneath. The casing has wonderful ornate details throughout. Without hallmarks, it's hard to date the fob exactly but we believe it's late Victorian in age, circa late 19th Century.
The fob measures approx 18.2mm tall by approx 10.7mm wide by approx 9.5mm deep and weighs approx 2.4g in total. The carved carnelian slice measures approx 8.8mm by 7.5mm.
Condition - The fob is in good antique condition but does show signs of age and wear. There is wear to the metal casing where, as mentioned above, the gold coloured layer has worn away and the base metal underneath is showing through. There is also some surface wear to the intaglio in the bottom. The fixed bail can be used to slide directly on to a chain or clip. Someone has also added a jump ring at some point in time which has been pushed around the top loop of the fob. Please see photos.
*Please note the antique box and chain pictured are not included in the sale but the fob will be shipped in a new presentation box and pouch.*
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Antique intaglio bird fob pendant with carved base 'j'aime la liberte'
All items are carefully wrapped and packaged in a gift pouch. In the UK, we always post items via Royal Mail's Special Delivery service which is fully tracked and insured. Items sent outside of the UK are sent via Royal Mail's International signed for service, which offers insurance for up to £250 and tracking.