During the mid-to-late Victorian Period, gentlemen often were presented with painted ivory miniatures in jeweled frames. These miniatures depicted the eye of their beloved. Sometimes, the eye was given in secret by a mistress who wanted to make sure that her man never forgot her. The portraits were almost always set into a stickpin which the gentleman could wear as an homage to his beloved.
This watercolor on ivory miniature of an eye of a lady dates to 1905. Set in a diamond-studded gold stickpin, this item was first entered into the Royal Collection during the very brief reign of Kind Edward VIII. To whom the eye belonged is unknown.
No comments:
Post a Comment