This Neoclassical style metal decoration from France is circa 1800s. Neoclassicism as an art movement was born from an appreciation for the art of antiquity and a reaction against Rococo in the mid-1700s through the early 1800s.
This particular piece has symmetry, a laurel wreath (ancient Greek symbolism), and lilies of the valley as well as two women wearing empire waist gowns in a garden setting. Deidre Larkin on the Met Museum blog writes, "The lily and the rose are the chief adornments of the allegorical hortus conclusus, the enclosed garden of the Virgin rooted in the language of the Song of Songs in the Old Testament."
The lilies are also considered Marian or relating to the Virgin. This piece is rich in symbolism.
Dimensions are 8.5" x 6" at its widest. There is a very small hole at the top of the piece by which it could be hung.
*****Condition: Please note that the piece does not lay perfectly flat, and it is fragile and malleable metal. Also, please examine the photos carefully for wear and discoloration, and see the eighth photo in particular for an unevenness, possibly related to breakage but more than likely a manufacturing error when the mold was poured at the very bottom of the piece. Do let me know if you would like more photos as I'll be more than happy to oblige.
Thank you for looking.
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