Miniature Pendant Painted Madonna With Child Silver Pierced Frame

This is probably an antique silver cradle pendant with a hand-painted miniature depicting the Madonna and Child. Similar items often date from the 19th or early 20th century. DetailsMaterial and Workmanship:The outer frame is made of sterling silver with a finely crafted openwork design that bears similarities to the Victorian or Art Nouveau style typical of devotional jewelry of the period. Miniature: The central image is a hand-painted miniature (probably on porcelain, enamel, or ivory), a wearable work of art depicting classic Marian iconography.Function: Objects such as this were often used as pendants, brooches, or as "cradle heads," that is, hung above an infant's cradle as a symbol of protection and blessing.