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

951U
120 Admirers Rare Find
Written by Olly Gerrish

A very finely executed reverse intaglio crystal of a lion’s head.

The art of reverse crystal intaglio is incredible. The crystal was sourced in Brazil and 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 with 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 using very fine brushes and paint work in reverse to create highly detailed images, 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. In England Thomas Cook made crystals for Lambeth & Co. Mr. Cook was succeeded by his apprentice, Thomas Bean. Bean’s son and grandson carried on the tradition of reverse crystal intaglios.
Reverse crystal intaglios were set as stickpins, buttons and studs, mounted on tie pins, cuff links, lockets, pendants and brooches. This relatively secret process, with its techniques passed through family members, kept it exclusive and expectations of quality were very high. They remained in fashion until poorly made glass and plastic imitations flooded the market c. 1920.
This example of a wonderful lion’s head is really fine quality, and mounted in an 18ct gold with a decorative rope border.

All our tie pins come with a stopper at the end of the pin.

Ollys Pick

The photographs do not do this grand old boy justice!

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Item Number
951U
Measurements
Diameter 2.4cm
Length of pin 7.3cm
Materials
Date & Origin
Provenance
English
Hallmarks

Unmarked, 18ct gold

Condition
Very Good
Discovered
1 year ago

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Victorian 18ct Gold Reverse Intaglio Rock Crystal Tie Pin of a Lion's Head

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