Description
Fleur-de-lis gold brooch in 18k (750) hollow gold. Brooch in the shape of a fleur-de-lis, adorned with three fine pearls in a cartouche.
France, antique brooch circa 1900.
Eagle head hallmark (french state hallmark for 18 karat gold)
Dimensions: 35 x 28 mm
Condition: signs of use
Weight: 4.29 gr
Symbolism: The lily has been a symbol of royalty for centuries. The fleur-de-lis is believed to have appeared for the first time on the scepter of Charles the Bald (823-877), the grandson of Charlemagne. The French royalty, therefore, chose this emblem just as other reigning European families chose the eagle, lion, or leopard. For centuries, until the revolution, the fleur-de-lis became a heraldic symbol on monuments, currency, clothing and tapestries, sculptures, statues, art objects, paintings… To express their opposition to monarchy and Catholicism, the revolutionaries destroyed numerous sites and artworks marked by this symbol.
