Art Nouveau French 18k Gold Locket Pendant Woman in Flower Antiquaria

Sometimes I come across a piece witch is so finely crafted, so interesting and so unique that I can’t help but hurry home to research it as much as I possibly can. Sometimes my searching turns up instant and easy results, other times I just have to go with the clues I can find and wonder if I’ve managed to get anywhere near the truth.

In the case of this locket, I couldn’t figure out who the artist was, it’s French and it’s beautifully designed by someone who was a true master of his craft, that much is obvious. The back of the locket is engraved with a Stag holding a plaque, standing on a log with a four pointed coronet above him. I believe that this particular motif is of the house the English Baron of Berwick. It think that perhaps this wonderful piece belonged to Edith Teresa Hulton, who became Lady Berwick when she married the 8th Baron, Thomas Noel-Hill.. She was a striking and very stylish lady with piercing blue eyes and fine features. She was the daughter of an artist, William Stokes Hulton and Costanza Mazini, and grew up in Venice. Her father was a painter, whose artist friends included Sickert and Sargent, whilst her mother was half-Italian and had strong links to the literary and artistic community of Florence. She was a very interesting woman who served as a nurse during WWI, and met her husband when he was serving in Italy. They were married in 1917 and lived in the English country manor at Attingham Park.

This Art Nouveau locket was crafted in about 1900-1910 of 18 karat gold. It’s in the shape of a orchid flower and shows a lovely girl who seems to be a part of the flower, her hair and the petals flowing together in an animated swirl. The locket is quite substantial, it measures 47.5 mm north to south and 31.4 mm across and weighs 16.4 grams. It is marked on the top with the French eagles head mark which indicates a minimum fineness of 18 karat gold. The locket contains one frame to hold your image and the front is pierce so that whatever you put inside shows through, we’ve shown it with a piece of blue fabric.

Give a piece of history to that inspirational person in your life, or inspire yourself with a gift just for you. Trust me, you don’t need a reason.

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