TREASURE OF TENDERNESS

Newly listed to Metal Corset.

Beneath the glass of this Art Nouveau religious reliquary is a beautiful assemblage of the Virgin Mary holding a Flaming Sacred Heart.

The image comes from an antique lace holy card and is embellished with German silver glass glitter.

All this delicately suspends from an 15" Art Deco open back paste necklace.

ETSY SHOPS SOON TO MOVE HERE

In the following days, I will be adding, "Buy It Now," links allowing you to purchase merchandise directly through my blog. If this is successful, I will move all merchandise from my Etsy shops Metal Corset and Metal Corset II here. Check back often for updates.

Victorian Gunmetal Long Guard Chain With 95 Open Back Paste Brilliants

(SOLD)

Newly listed to Metal Corset II is this stunning antique Victorian gunmetal long guard chain with 95 fully faceted bail set paste brilliants that sparkle like diamonds.

I've owned many of these gunmetal long guard chains with paste brilliants in the past, but never one with 95. Each paste brilliant measures 5mm in diameter.

This chain does not open. A swivel clasp at one end allows you to wear it in several different ways if desired. However, this chain was intended to hang a lorgnette or muff in the Victorian days.

Absolutely stunning and excellent period piece with no issues and totally original.

These Victorian gunmetal long guard chains with paste brilliants are becoming harder to find. So this one is a rare find.

Measures 57" in length continuous not including swivel clasp.

Antique Ex Voto Collection

Here's a pic of my antique ex voto collection thus far. To view the exquisite details, click on the image to enlarge.

Two Souls As One

An antique 1800s carved French meerschaum reliquary of The Virgin Mary and The Child Jesus captures the loving bond between mother and child.

Heart stopping Picasso Czech glass and crystal beads combined with ethnic carved bone beads accentuate the brass frame of the reliquary and the carved meerschaum.

Beautiful down to the last detail. Definitely a one of a kind necklace.

Framed meerschaum measures 2.75". Chain measures 10.5" closed.

Note: There is no domed glass.

Ex-Votos

"An ex voto is a votive offering to a saint or divinity. It is given in fulfillment of a vow (hence the Latin term, short for "ex voto suscepto," or "from the vow made") or in gratitude or devotion. Ex-votos are placed in a church or chapel where the worshiper seeks grace or wishes to give thanks. The destination of pilgrimages often include shrines decorated with ex-votos.

Ex-votos can take a wide variety of forms. They are not only intended for the religious figure, but also as a testimony to later visitors of the help received. As such they may include texts explaining a miracle attributed to the holy figure, or symbols such as a painted or modeled reproduction of a miraculously healed body part, or a directly related item such as a crutch given by a person formerly lame."

Source: http://www.silvercollection.it/dictionaryexvoto.html

The first photo shows several ex-votos I've amassed along the way. The second photo shows what I would like my collection to look like someday. Wow! The third photo shows a shrine in Germany to the Virgin and Child with hundreds of ex votos pinned to the gown.

Art Deco Flapper Enamel Filigree Paste Rondelle Necklace

You can find this stunning Art Deco necklace at Metal Corset II.

Black enamel filigree and bezel set paste rondelles separated by brass tube links highlight this amazing period piece. Not to mention the amazing patina it has acquired over the years.

It measures 60 3/4" in length and closes with a spring ring clasp. Could be worn doubled or tripled.