A rare ca 1820 French heavy 18k gold vinaigrette pendant, of very fine workmanship with beautifully enameled front, back, and sides. The hinged box opens to reveal a hinged, finely pierced grille. Decoration, in black and white enamels, features foliage and scroll designs. The front has an oval panel with a hand painted miniature portrait of a young Tyrolean woman in a peasant dress and a fetching hat cocked at a jaunty angle.

The box is rectangular with curves and rounded shoulders. It has a compression closure which opens and closes smoothly to reveal a swing-out pierced grill under which a scented sponge was placed. The scent of past perfume still lingers. The grill is a hand cut/pierced foliate design with fine engraved details. The rich gold on the inside of the pendant is still shiny. There are no hallmarks, as was often the case with these 19th century pieces. It has been carefully tested to be 18k gold.

The pendant measures 1 1/4" ( not including the loop) x 1" x 7/16" (32mm x 25mm x 11mm). It weighs 16.7 grams. All surfaces are flush and the opening mechanism is excellent. The back side, under a 10x loupe, shows a tad of touched-up damage of the black enamel, not visible to the naked eye. These early 19th century vinaigrettes, especially in the pendant form, are very rare, and portraiture is rare indeed!