Rock crystal pendant with a verre églomisé miniature. Italian, 17th century

A carved rock crystal pendant set with a verre églomisé devotional miniature.

Italian, mid 17th century.

Measures 8.4 x 5.9 x 1.5cm excluding gold pendant bail.

The carved rock crystal pendant frame is decorated with Renaissance style caryatids, c-scrolls and bouquets of fruit. The obverse of the pendant is set with a verre églomisé miniature of the angel Gabriel with the Latin abbreviation of the prayer for Ave Maria; ‘Ave Maria, Gratia Plena, Dom(inus) tecum’, which translates as ‘Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee’. The reverse of the pendant is set with a silver gilt plaque engraved with a coat of arms decorated with well head heads in an oval cartouche, the surrounding with further Renaissance ornamentation.

See the last two images of a similar example in the collection of the the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Accession Number: 1949-40-1a(front) and 1949-40-1b(back), it is catalogued as Italian, circa 1650.