OUR GUARANTEES are intended to give you as much or even greater confidence when you place an order than you would have were you to do so in person. If you place a purchase order with us, we will provide the following guarantees:
SATISFACTION GUARANTEE: Should you change your mind after the item has been shipped, you may return it for a full refund of the price you paid, excluding the cost of shipping. We must receive it in the same condition as it was in when we sent it to you and you must notify us and return it within 14 days.
AUTHENTICITY GUARANTEE: In the highly unlikely event that an expert appraisal raises doubts as to the authenticity of an item we have sold, we will help arrange for its return and refund the purchase price including all shipping and insurance costs, there and back. Evidence of such an opinion from a recognised authority on the artist or item must be provided to us within 2 calendar years from the date of purchase and we must receive the item back in the same condition it was in when we sent it to you.
DESCRIPTION / CONDITION GUARANTEE: We take great care to ensure that what we sell is exactly what we say it is. In the highly unlikely event that we have substantively misdescribed the item or overlooked a problem with its condition about which we should have known and have disclosed prior to purchase, we will then help you arrange its return and will refund the purchase price including all outward and return shipping costs. You must notify of the problem and return the item within 14 days and we must receive the item back in the same condition it was in when we sent it to you.
SHIPPING GUARANTEE: We always pack extremely carefully, use only insured, reputable carriers and are experts at shipping very fragile items worldwide. We use a mix of clean recycled and new high quality packaging. In the highly unlikely event that an item does arrive damaged, please contact us within 3 days of receiving it. We will then help you arrange its return and will refund the purchase price including all outward and return shipping costs. You must notify us of the problem and return the item within 14 days.
... See more
19thc Portrait Miniature Lady Enamels Porcelain 18k Gold Mount
REF: 586RL6399 / LA505091
£1,650
€1,927
$2,075
Secure Payments By
Certified DealerApproved item10 sales by dealerFree Delivery
Certified DealerApproved item10 sales by dealerFree Delivery
Description
This is a late 19th Century portrait miniature of a lady, enamels on porcelain, in a substantial high-carat gold (Kee and acid tested as at least 18ct) bracelet mount.
There is a degree of mystery about this miniature. The first issue is the lady herself. The portrait is clearly of a real person, not one of those romantic fantasy figures commonly found on small porcelain plaques. Then, there is the intensity of the lady’s gaze, directly at the viewer instead of gazing over their shoulder, which is unusual and reminiscent of a self-portrait. Next, the quality - the delicacy with which her skin tones have been captured is exceptional. Then, there is the quality of the mount, which is hefty high-carat gold and shaped to curve around a wrist with loop fittings to one side and a socket for a slider catch on the other. Yet, it seems too large for a wrist. Unsigned and unmarked, where this was made is unknown. The Plaque has an impressed number 22 and is most likely European and French or German. If pressed, we would hazard a guess that the lady is French, though is there a slight hint of a Hapsburg jaw?
The portrait is firmly fixed in the mount but even allowing 10g for the porcelain would leave approximately 25g of 18ct gold, which, at the time of writing, is worth £43.95/g scrap value.
measurements
Height:
6.5 cm
Width:
5.7 cm
Weight:
35.3 g
measurements
declaration
Lefays has clarified that the 19thc Portrait Miniature Lady Enamels Porcelain 18k Gold Mount (LA505091) is genuinely of the period declared with the date/period of manufacture being Late 19th Century
declaration
condition
condition
Very good. There is a small scratch in the background by the lady’s cheek visible in our images that is almost imperceptible in normal viewing. We only noticed it in the images.