**Reserved for KMD** No. 2890 Lover's Eye Painting on an English Mintons Gilt Foliate Wreath Plate
Lover's Eye painting on an antique English Mintons bone china saucer with swirled, fluted, and scalloped border and a gold gilt foliate wreath, measuring 5.5"; paired with a frame from an engraving of snakes by Albertus Seba, whose Locupletissimi rerum naturalium thesauri accurata descriptio was published in Amsterdam between 1734 and 1765. The frame measures 8.25" x 8.25".
THE HISTORY: Lover's Eyes were a jewelry trend c.1785-1830 of brooches set with tiny watercolor portraits on ivory. Since they were cropped to eyes, they were in many ways more direct and intimate than traditional miniature portraits; but also because they were just eyes, they were often used as daring public testimonies of clandestine love affairs with mystery lovers.
THE CHINA: Many of my Lover's Eyes are set in antique saucers and dishes which not only work as unexpected frames but add a layer of historical narrative on top of the origin story. Each piece has a unique blend, so that some are more romantic, some more exotic, and some more otherworldly.
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