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Victorian 18ct Gold Reverse Intaglio Rock Crystal Tie Pin of a Race Horse’s Head

823M
Rare Find
Written by Olly Gerrish

A good 18ct gold tie pin with an intaglio of a race horse’s head that was made circa 1880. It has been carved in reverse from rock crystal which is a difficult process. A reverse crystal intaglio is a rock crystal cabochon with an intaglio carved into the flat back. The intaglio was also painted realistically with oils so, that when viewed through the top, the image appears three-dimensional. Finally, the back was sealed in order to preserve the painted areas. The technique originated in Belgium c. 1860 and is attributed to an artist named Emile Marius Pradier. This technique was also practiced in England by Thomas Cook and his descendants who made crystals for Lambeth & Co.
Production of a reverse crystal intaglio begins with the mining and cutting of fine rock crystal from Brazil or Madagascar. A well-formed cabochon is the key to a beautifully made reverse intaglio and the tedious process of hand polishing it to perfection had to be completed before the design work could begin. A watercolour of the image was painted on the underside of the cabochon and an oil and diamond dust mixture was used along with up to 250 scribing tools to carve the design into the interior of the crystal “…the deeper the carving the more pronounced trompe l’oeil effect.” Once the carving was established the painting process began with extremely fine brushes and paint working in reverse to create incredibly detailed images.
The motifs most commonly found are sporting themes – horses, dogs, foxes and birds. This relatively secret process passed through family members, so keeping it exclusive and expectations of quality were very high. They remained in fashion until poorly made glass and plastic imitations flooded the market circa 1920.
This tie pin is a superb example of the art and is mounted in 18ct gold with a decorative border. All our tie pins come with a stopper at the end of the pin.

Ollys Pick

A perfect present for a horse racing enthusiast !

Item Number
823M
Measurements
Diameter 2.1 cm
Length of pin 7.5 cm
Materials
Date & Origin
Provenance
English
Hallmarks
Unmarked, tested to 18ct gold
Condition
Excellent
Discovered
6 years ago
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