Rare mid 19th century French shell cameo commesso brooch.

Gold mount with green and red enamelled foliate decoration, partial marks for Félix Dafrique, Paris circa 1850.

The cameo depicting Anne de Beaujeu (Anne of France, 1461 - 1522) her dress, ermine gown, headdress and coronet in three colours of engraved gold, the cameo carving attributed to Paul Lebas.

The Victoria and Albert museum, London, has a very similar, and very well known, example by Dafrique representing a young Queen Victoria. Their example is believed to have been shown at the London Great Exhibition of 1851, the brooch shown here is most likely from the same series and made approximately at the same time.

https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O73187/queen-victoria-brooch-lebas-paul/

In excellent condition with no damage
75 x 50mm