Antique French Portrait Miniature, Early 19th Century, a Beautiful 18th Century Woman with Mandolin Crumb Brush carnet du bal with 2

carnet du bal with 2 glorious panels of carved mother of pearl set into gilt ormolu framework that is trimmed with cabochons of Persian turquoise (some missing)

and perhaps some envy

One or two small veneer imperfections

The interior of the ivory case retains a gold foil but not the mirror that would have been inside

The faces formed in leather are fascinating and works of art

Antique French Portrait Miniature, Early 19th Century, a Beautiful 18th Century Woman with Mandolin Crumb Brush carnet du bal with 2What a beauty she is! It's fascinating, isn't it, that so much personality and detail can be painted in 5 8", which is the height of her beautiful face. This woman, fashioned in hair and gown of c. 1770s, but I think painted later perhaps as a souvenir taken from an earlier painting, shows her playing a mandolin. Always fun to have portraits with musical instruments, sewing or writing tools or personal objects to help define the sitter. The painting