Pair of Limoges enamel plaques in gilt metal easel frames

The plaques were crafted in the late 19^th Century in the town of Limoges in France, which is famous for its high-quality painted enamel wares.

One plaque depicts three figures on a railed terrace of a grand house which is accessed by a flight of steps. The figures include two ladies sat in fauteuils (armchairs) and one gentleman, who stands before them. The figures wear elaborate 18^th-Century style costumes. The man leans on the railing and holds a book out in front of him, which he appears to read aloud from. The women hold flowers and fans and gaze in the man’s direction, listening intently. A redy-orange curtained window is pictured behind the figures and the space around them is dotted with an upholstered stool, a side table topped by a claret jug and wine glass, and a folding screen. Plants and flowers grow on either side of the terrace. The plaque is signed in the lower right corner ‘Borval’.

The second plaque shows three figures, wearing 18^th-Century style dress, in an outdoor setting. The painting depicts a man sitting on a stone bench, fishing at the edge of a river or lake. He is accompanied by a woman who sits and looks off into the distance, following the man’s gaze across the water. A second man stands behind the woman and secretly slips a letter into her hand, unknown to the seated man. It is possible these two gentlemen are vying for the woman’s affection. This picture is also signed ‘Borval’ in the lower right corner.

Both paintings are set in orange velvet-lined gilt metal easel frames. These frames are decorated with rope-work borders and stiff-leaf bands, and they are topped by flower garlands and ribbon bows.