Antique Georgian 15K Rose Gold Sepia Miniature Mourning Brooch 1789 18th Century

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Antique Georgian 15K Rose Gold Sepia Miniature Mourning Brooch 1789 18th Century:
$795.00

Here we have a beautiful tiny, antique, navette-shaped, Georgian, mourning, locket brooch depicting a sepia miniature scene of a woman seated next to a tombstone in a graveyard with weeping willows in the background. Such a poignant image. It\'s possible that this woman represents the widow of the man whom this mourning brooch was made for. The scene appears to be colored either with sepia ink, hair, or possibly both. A locket crystal (made either of rock crystal or glass). It is dome-shaped or convex, which is in keeping with the period. A black enamel border surrounds it with gold lettering that reads: JAMES.MONKTON.OB:6.JAN:1789.AE: 32. \"OB\" stands for the Latin \"obitus\" which means \"death\" while AE (often seen as AET) tells the age of passing. Altogether, the inscription tells us that James Monkton was born in 1757 and died on January 6, 1789, at the age of 32. This piece is from Georgian England, so I have accessed the UK archives databases and found transcripts for a James Monkton who lived in Cullompton in the county of Devon (Devonshire) in England for whom I believe this brooch is for. There are no matching birth or death records, but there is an entry for his will in 1789 in the Devon County will index and his job was listed as an apprentice. Further, there is another record for the same James Monkton who registered as an apprentice to a grocer, a John Harcombe, in Devon County in the year 1772, when he would have been fifteen years old, so this again appears to be the correct person. I will happily furnish the new owner with copies of these transcripts, so they will have provenance for this piece. We can also assume that James was married before his death based on the black color enamel border which would indicate so, but it isn\'t clear which marriage records for James Monkton correspond to him as there are a few. However, it is possible that he married more than once during his short life as people often succumbed to illnesses during this period which today are treatable.
The encasement is made of a lovely 15K rose gold that is not marked (as was not uncommon during this period) but has been tested. Please note that this brooch is a small size at 5/8” x 1 1/8\". To the back is a period-correct \"C\" catch type clasp that is secure, in good working order, and which appears original as do the pin and hinge. Although, there are some solder marks at the base of the hinge which are either original or from a later repair. Overall, this piece is offered in good, antique condition with wear expected for a piece that is over 225 years old. Some fading to the sepia miniature and a small section of enamel loss at the bottom tip of the enamel border in between “James” and “32,” but the majority of the enamel is intact or mostly intact otherwise. The pictures illustrate the condition, but it should be noted that the pictures are highly magnified as this is a tiny brooch, so the age wear is mainly only noticeable with magnification. This piece is ready to wear and/or find a home in a collection of mourning jewelry. It would also make a splendid gift. Origin: England. Date estimate: c. 1789.