silver c. 800, parcel-gilt, some enamelling, Oriental pearl, French gov. hallmark, signed F. D. Froment-Meurice, enamel partly chipped, also to be worn as a brooch, no x-ray exam conducted on this object

François-Désiré Froment Meurice (1802-1855) was one of the most influential Parisian goldsmiths of the 19th century. He was trained as a chaser, and took over his parents’ workshop in 1832, developing his characteristic Neo-Gothic and Neo-Renaissance style of jewellery. Froment Meurice’s talent and versatile artistic education led to the highest recognition of Parisian society and the award of the honorary title ‘Orfèvre-Joaillier de la Ville de Paris’.
During the 1851 World’s Fair in London, Queen Victoria became aware of the artist’s extraordinary work and decided to purchase some of his jewels for her royal collection. His work is represented in numerous renowned museums, such as the Louvre, the British Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Bavarian National Museum. The present brooch results from a collaboration between F. D. Froment-Meurice and Jules Wièse. Depicted is a female figure playing the viola, which can be interpreted as representing harmony. The scene is framed by a canopy and a shell-shaped pedestal, and accompanied by two music-making cherubs.
Further reading: Henri Vever, French Jewelry of the Nineteenth Century, Thames & Hudson 2001, pp. 248-260