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An English Victorian 18 karat gold reverse crystal brooch. The finely painted crystal brooch represents ducks in lift-off. The yellow and red gold frame is decorated with dimensional pussy willows intertwined with ribbon. Reverse crystal intaglios are a rock crystal cabochon with an intaglio carved into the flat back and then painted realistically with oils, so that when, viewed from the top, the image has a three-dimensional effect. Finally, the back was sealed with mother-of-pearl, which preserved the painted areas. The motifs most commonly found were sporting themes -- horses, dogs, foxes and birds. The technique originated in Belgium c. 1860 and was popularized in England c. 1860's by Thomas Cook.
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