Georgian Hand, Heart, Key Lace Pin

An early 19th c sentimental lace or fichu pin, c. 1825-35, of bloomed and chased 15k gold, consisting of a hand clasping a heart with a key pendant suspended from an attached chain. The finely textured hand has been worked with a ring-punched ground, and charmingly “wears” a miniature ruby ring. The heart, containing woven hair beneath a glass cover, is further accented with a graintille trim. A nearly-identical example is illustrated on p. 238 of “Schmuck: Klassizismus und Biedermeier 1780-1850” by Brigitte Marquardt. Another example, bearing the same graintille key design, is in the British Museum (1978,1002.890). The hand, a symbol of fidelity and friendship since the Roman era, was especially popular as a sentimental motif during the early 19th c. When paired with a heart, the heart-in-hand symbol means to give or offer one’s heart (whether in an amatory, religious, or masonic context). The further pairing with a key, according to “Knight’s Gems or device book”, a popular c. 1820 collection of late Georgian decorative motifs, conveys the message “thou hast the key [to my heart]”.
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