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Art Nouveau Plique-à-Jour Silver Butterfly Brooch

841M
Rare Find
Written by Olly Gerrish

A very unusual silver gilt and enamel butterfly brooch.The enamel technique used here is plique-à-jour (French for “letting in daylight”) is a vitreous enamelling technique where the enamel is applied in cells, similar to cloisonné, but with no backing in the final product, so light can shine through the transparent or translucent enamel. It is in effect a miniature version of stained-glass and is considered very challenging technically. There is a high failure rate. The technique is similar to that of cloisonné, but using a temporary backing that after firing is dissolved by acid or rubbed away. This brooch is in very good condition and was made circa 1900-1910.

Ollys Pick

A rare and very good example and a lovely subject

Item Number
841M
Measurements
Height 3.7 cm
Width 6 cm
Materials
Date & Origin
Art Nouveau (1890-1915)
French/ German
Provenance
French/ German
Hallmarks

Sterling
Maker's mark a lyre

Condition
Very good
Discovered
6 years ago
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