An exceptionally beautiful and wonderfully preserved pair of early 19th-century French poissarde earrings, crafted in 18ct gold and dating to circa 1830.
At the centre of each earring sits a tiny hand-enamelled pansy above the words “A MOI”, creating the romantic French rebus “Pense à moi” - “Think of me.” In French, pensée means both a pansy and a thought, making the flower a favourite motif in sentimental jewellery exchanged between loved ones during the early 19th century.
The oval enamel plaques are beautifully detailed in shades of blue, green, white and warm gold, surrounded by a fine beaded border. Above and below sit wonderfully architectural scalloped gold sections, each decorated with a triangular panel of delicate punched beadwork and a polished gold boss.
The earrings are made in the distinctive poissarde form - an elongated French hoop which passes through the ear from behind and unusually fastens at the front. Each retains its small integral stop behind the lobe, helping the decorative section remain correctly positioned when worn.
Both earrings bear a French mastiff-head (tête de dogue) recense mark associated with the 1838 recall of small precious-metal articles, alongside the maker's initials 'BM' and a fan symbol. The 1838 recense is particularly useful in dating these earrings, indicating that they were already in existence when the recall took place.
Their condition is quite exceptional for jewels approaching two centuries old. The delicate enamel remains remarkably complete and vibrant, with only minimal age-related wear. There is a subtle difference in the depth of blue between the two individually hand-enamelled pansies - one slightly deeper navy, the other a little lighter - a wonderfully characterful reminder that these tiny plaques were individually made and fired by hand. Natural antique patina remains within the recessed areas of the gold.
A rare surviving pair of early French sentimental earrings - romantic, beautifully preserved and still extraordinarily wearable almost 200 years later.
