Featured An ivory carving of a shield with two lions mounted in silver frame (pendant)

Hello all, was wondering if anyone could help date this piece. It's ivory, guessing french, 19th century?
Those two lions I think represent Normandy and it's Kings?
Set in silver more recently. Made from a single piece of ivory. One of the many little things I have to look into.

About 5cm in height, give or take

 

Your lions are facing the wrong way for Normandy.

 

Oh!

 

Not Normandy. As Bakers has pointed out, the orientation of the lions on the shield is in the wrong direction, to sinister, the shield bearer's left. Your lions are passant while Normandy's are guardant. If the carving is true to an original, the sinister side (right side in pic) is green (vert).

French is certainly a reasonable guess, although there were also English artisans who worked in ivory.

 

Quite fascinating, thank you. What period would this be from?

 

I agree that it has been set as a pendant relatively recently. Age of the shield itself...? My best shot is last third of the 19th century, when tourism really took off.

 

luv the grips on the back.......he didn't need em...but put them there anyways !!
A true artist !!

 

The shield may have come from an older piece, maybe a statue. In which case the straps on the back could have been functional.

It is nice that they made it into a pendant, it is certainly worth the extra attention, it is an attractive piece and excellent craftmanship.

 

I have 'The Observer's Book of Heraldry' and the attached photo is taken from it. It shows how Bronwen knew the sinister side was vert (green). This also shows that the dexter side looks to probably be argent (silver).

Lions are one of the oldest heraldic charges and tended to be used by royalty or high ranking nobles if a personal shield, but as you pointed out it could be from a place rather than a person.

The book also says that heraldic objects are assumed to be facing the dexter, so as yours faces sinister, it would also be described as 'contourné'.

 

A thousand thanks. Very interesting