Carved Plastic Brooch St Therese of Lisieux

Hi,
Another piece I need help with. This is 1 3/4" x 1 1/2" with a trombone clasp.
Looking for help with age, and is there a term for this style of jewelry? I believe this is St Therese Of Lisieux, Patron Saint of Parental Loss.
Any information appreciated
thanks for looking

 

Looks like molded "plastic" with banknote type engraving done on the mold.

 

Thank-you Holly. Would engraving give a texture to the plastic? You can feel the the marks . The 2nd photo I tried to show the layers of the piece.

 

There is modeling there that goes beyond simple engraving, but what that means is a mystery to me. I would guess the figural outlines were defined before the engraving was added.

I haven't got a clue if yours is a one-off or a production piece. If it is plastic or composite, that would suggest production. Bone or ivory would be one-offs.

 

The mold would be engraved similar to a wax signet ring,it is not like scrimshaw which just has scratched lines.

 

My confirmation name is Therese and I never heard her called the Patron Saint of Parental Loss. I guess I'm a bad Catholic.

 

It is certainly Thérèse of Lisieux, confirmed by this former Catholic who studied theology (although I specialized in Shamanism).
My grandmother adored her. Have never heard of her being a patron saint of parental loss, although you could argue her parents lost her to the Church. She is one of the patron saints of missionaries, and an example of pious living.
The trombone clasp (silver?) is seen on brooches from the late 19th-early 20th century. Because she is depicted as a saint, I would say the latter, she was canonized in 1925.
It is probably a souvenir from Lisieux in Normandy, France. Places of pilgrimage usually have a thriving tourist industry. Thérèse of Lisieux was extremely popular before WWII.

 

Thanks folks. This is a nice piece and looks well done to me, I agree that it is a souvenir piece. This isn't composite, thought maybe bone as there is an area with squiggle lines but it is so light I figured it must be plastic. The carving is done in layers and there is a texture to the piece when you run your finger over it.

 

It is certainly a nice piece. Have you checked the clasp for silvermarks? French marks can be tiny, assuming it is French.

 

Yes, I've looked but no marks

 

Maybe it was made in Canada. She was probably popular with French Canadians as well.