Antique French Art Nouveau Pansy "Amitié" Slider Charm
$1,271.00 USD
This charm dates to the French Art Nouveau period, c. 1900. It is a rare, fully functioning sliding mechanism crafted in silver with Grand Feu Basse-taille enamel. A pinnacle of Belle Époque sentimental jewelry, it's a sophisticated double rebus. In the "Language of Flowers," the pansy (pensée) was a visual pun for "thinking of you." By engineering this flower to slide open and reveal the word AMITIÉ, the jeweler created a complete hidden message: "Think of our friendship."
This was a piece designed for the true sentimentalist - a mechanical secret meant to be shared only with those closest to the heart. With a smooth, engineered pivot, the silver petals slide to reveal the hidden vow in hand-painted black enamel. The piece features Grand Feu Basse-taille enameling, where layers of translucent violet glass were fired over hand-engraved silver. This allows the delicate "veining" of the petals to catch the light, giving the flower a lifelike shimmer.
In the early 1900s, these mechanical versions were significantly more expensive to produce than their static counterparts and were often sold as "specialty commissions" in the elite workshops of Paris.
This rare pendant measures 16.7mm at its widest and 21.7mm tall and weighs 4.13g. Wear commensurate with age and use. Please view all photos.
* Listing is for charm only.
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