Beautiful 19th-century French religious icon we purchased in Provence, France. It represents the Madonna and child. This is an amazing piece with beautiful details and dates from the late 1800s, the Napoleon III era. There is a lot of relief in this piece which can clearly be seen in our pictures. This piece has convex glass on the front and is papered on the back. The frame is in mint condition as is the entire piece. There is a loop on the back at the top to hang it. It measures 5.4" x 4.8" x 1". This piece is in FABULOUS condition with original glass.
There has been some discussion between the dealer and myself regarding the material used to make this piece. I feel that it is "meerschaum," which is a soft, white, clay-like material consisting of hydrated magnesium and a silicate. However the Italian dealer calls it "kaolin" which is is a hydrated aluminum silicate crystalline mineral formed over many millions of years by the hydrothermal decomposition of granite rocks. I have a feeling we are talking about the same thing but I thought it best to share as many details as possible.
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