A little Victorian (1890) silver and wood desk or fob seal with a cherub or Cupid, with wings, taking aim with his bow and arrow pointing it to a tower under the sentiment L'AMOUR ME FORCE which translates LOVE COMPELS ME.

Please look closely at the pictures for signs of wear - another well loved and worn desk or fob seal - it appears to have been meant to be a small desk seal which someone drilled a hole through the top of the wood handle in order to suspend it, wear it.  There is wear to the silver, both in the matrix where it seems a bit worn along the edge with the lettering and some scratches/marks to the surface, as well as where the silver is attached to the wood.  Also, note a bit of denting near the crack in the silver.  see the close up pictures.

- approximate height measurement - just over 1 1/4" (34mm) 
- matrix measurement - 5/8" x 1/2" (15mm x 12mm)

A fob seal is a small wax seal matrix encased in a metal mount shank, or hard stone, designed for suspension from a short chain or ribbon which attaches to a pocket watch and is worn hanging in front of a vest or waist or chatelaine.

The fob shanks were made from a variety of metals - gold, silver, mixed, rolled gold and gilded which is a thin layer of gold over a base metal, similar to what we now call gold filled or plated but the gilding process was different - to give the illusion of gold but much less expensive.

An intaglio, in the case of wax seals, is created by engraving below the surface of a smooth stone, the design in reverse, so that when impressed into melted wax the design is a relief of that carved image.

All sales final on antique wax seals - no returns
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