This suite of jewelry has the sweetest painted enamel imagery- music playing cherubs, one of whom serenades a dancing goat! It was love at first sight when Emily came across this treasure. The enamel is in the style made popular by Limoges in France as well as Swiss enamelwork, both favoring Rococo design and subject matter. The scenes are like miniature paintings that have the sentimental sweetness and allegorical symbolism of the Rococo painters Watteau, Boucher, and Fragonard. It may seem odd that in the second half of the 19th century there was a revival of this type of subject, but when we look closer there are reasons that make it seem logical. There was a movement in Europe to revive past styles in order to make sense of an ever-changing world. People found it soothing to wear putti, which symbolized innocence, love, and protection. There was also a shift away from antique jewelry incorporating threatening memorial images, like skeletons and tombs, to a softer view of the afterlife, one that is joyful and idealistic. While this set is not memento-mori, it embraces a world where cherubs frolic outdoors without a care in the world.

The enamel plaques are perfectly framed by set seed pearls that work beautifully in both the earrings and the locket. The pendant has a clear crystal locket on the back that may have originally held a romantic lock of hair, and is now ready to hold a cherished memento, such as a photograph.

Circa 1860