Eugene Fontenay - Locket Necklace Attr. Paris 1870 French Etruscan Revival 18K Gold

Large, stunning granulated antique French Etruscan Revival locket with the original, equally spectacular large chain. The oval locket exquisitely decorated with a technique known as granulation, where a tiny gold bead is individually applied to a surface to form a geometric pattern. Done entirely by hand and requiring a master goldsmith, this technique is thought to have originated in Sumer approximately 5000 years ago. The Etruscans mastered the process in the first millennium B.C and closely guarded its secret, becoming celebrated for creating some of the most beautiful and technically advanced gold jewelry ever made. Condition: This piece is in very good condition retaining the original interior crystal, the hinges work very well and are precisely calibrated to stay open in place when desired. The back of the locket shows normal wear with just the slightest waviness. The chain is in excellent condition. Composed as a pendant locket on its original chain, the oval gold links reeded on the interior and applied chain link on the exterior, the oval locket decorated with twisted wirework circles and fine applied granulation patterns, suspended from a long bale with quatrefoil granulation. Hinged on the side, opening to reveal a hinged glass panel for a personal memento. French assay mark and maker's mark partially obscured Confident attribution to Fontenay based on partial hallmark and similar published examples. References: Wartski for gold enamelled locket on chain necklace, sold archives; DSF for gold enamelled locket pendant of similar workmanship and design. Fontenay pieces retaining the original chain which may be worn on its own are rare and desirable. Eugene Fontenay, 1824-1887, was a renown third generation Parisian jeweler who achieved critical acclaim for his original interpretations of jewels in the Archaeological Revival style. The pivotal moment in his career came when he visited the famed Campana Collection Exhibit at the Louvre in 1861. The collection was purchased by Napoleon III for the people of France and included some 1,200 examples of ancient Etruscan, Roman and Greek jewels which served as a source of profound inspiration for Fontenay. At the Paris Exhibition in 1867, Fontenay held his first exhibition under his own name and was awarded a gold medal for his jewelry designs based on Greek, Roman, and Etruscan examples. Today, Etruscan Revival pieces by Fontenay are part of the permanent collections of the British Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art and prestigious private collections. Measurements: The locket width is 26mm, length including bail is 58mm, 1 inch by 2.25 inches The chain is .25 inch/7mm wide by 18.5 inches/466mm long