Featured Brooch with miniature painting - age?

This was in a jewelry box I won at an auction a few months back. To my untrained eye this seems victorian? Or am I way off? The painting seems to have a layer of clear shellac or lacquer over it - I do believe it to actualy be a small painting. Small child or putto playing a flute. The frame/brooch is about 1 1/4" and the painting is about 5/8".

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Do you see any dots when you look at it through a loupe? Dots mean at least partial transfer printing. It's Victorian for certain, regardless.

 

Hi Evely, no dots in my 12x magnifier. I'll try to post a magnified pic.

 

good pics....
the barrel on the pin is usually found on straight stick pins...and i think is an addition here..

 

Yup, that back is late 19th C. It may have been done by a hobby painter. Did you test for silver?

 

Lovely! I agree that the barrel-shaped guard did not come with it originally. Due to its size I think it would be very difficult to close the clasp around clothing fabric if that guard was there. (I know this from personal experience with a brooch that I own.) Don't know if the word "guard" is correct, but they do guard against pins falling off.

I love this, though.

 

Charming, and yes 1880s-90s. And worth checking for silver as Obb suggested.
In those days they wouldn't have used a barrel-guard, because the end of the pin would have been stuck back into the fabric on the other end of the C-clasp.

 

WHAT a NEAT little pin!!!!! I LOVE the painting!!!!!

 

Makes sense - was on there when I obtained it. I'll probably leave it off now. Thanks!

 

I need to get a silver test kit, or take it somewhere it can be tested... for now I know it is not attracted to a strong magnet, so that's a good sign.

 

I'd leave the guard where it is; that's been on there an awfully long time. They turn up on other pins of the same era. Odds are good it's silver.

 

It's so very pretty, The painting is lovely.