Blue Antique Victorian Limoges French Cameo Portrait Brooch Pin F285
Overall size on this is 48x38mm. Cameo itself is 40x30mm. The brooch is in good condition. The clasp seems to work properly. I am dating this to circa 1890–1910 (late Victorian through the Art Nouveau period). There is a lot to unpack here. While not Italian, this caught my attention and I spent a bit of time researching its origins. The setting appears to be brass. It is a simple prong setting, I note someone dabbed some glue on the back at one time to keep it from shifting. It has a unique trombone clasp sometimes called a push-pull clasp the design was patented in Britain in 1850 and was used prior to 1890 in British brooch designs, well before they became popular in the US. I doubt any were produced after WWI.
In regards to the printing on the back. Barbotine refers to the raised, liquid-clay (slip) technique used to build up three-dimensional details, such as the lady's profile and elaborate hair..... Grand Feu: Means "high fire," referring to the ultra-high temperature kiln process used to fuse the vitreous porcelain glazes permanently, giving it a smooth, durable finish. This was made in Limoges, France. Limoges is an ancient city in west-central France, sitting along the Vienne River. It is world-famous for its fine porcelain, medieval history, and distinct "fire arts" handicrafts like enamel and stained glass. Lastly, the F.M. mark stands for Fontanille & Marraud, a major Limoges porcelain decorating house active during the late 19th century and through the mid-20th century., a known French ceramic decorator/producer that specialized in pâte-sur-pâte or raised enamel decorative work on high-fire porcelain. They specialized in Porcelaine Artistique—decorative luxury goods like classical cameos, trinket boxes, wall plaques, and vases—rather than simple utilitarian dinnerware. The pâte-sur-pâte / barbotine style depicting high-relief classical white cameo profiles against cobalt blue porcelain was extremely popular from the 1890s to the outbreak of WWI.
