Description
An 18th Century Irish verge in fine gold and enamel pair cases with matching chatelaine. Full plate fire gilt movement with round pillars. Pierced and engraved masked cock, silver regulator disc. Fusee and chain with worm and wheel barrel setup between the plates. Plain three arm steel balance, blue steel spiral hairspring. Convex white enamel dial with Arabic numerals, gold hands. Plain gold inner case, gold pendant and bow. Gold and enamel outer case with central oval cartouche of a classically dressed couple finely painted “en grisaille”. The scene bordered by a row of white enamel faux split pearls and a geometric frame of white enamel with fields of blue and green translucent enamel over an engine turned ground. Fine matching chatelaine, the gilt metal clip with applied gold and enamel face decorated with an oval “en grisaille” scene similarly bordered by a row of white enamel faux split pearls and light green translucent enamel over an engine turned ground. The clip supporting seven chains of gold oval links decorated with light and dark green translucent enamel. A cartouche decorated with another smaller scene depicting a tambourine and sheet music hangs from the three central chains. The other four chains each with accessories attached with spring clips locked by threaded collars. The accessories comprise:- a small plain gold compass, a heart shaped clear stone in a gold mount decorated with an “en grisaille” portrait within a translucent blue enamel border, an agate seal in a gold and enamel mount and an opening gold and enamel egg decorated with white enamel faux split pearls and fields of blue translucent enamel over an engine turned ground. Both cases with maker's mark “IW”, the inner with number corresponding to that on the movement.