Arts & Crafts Enamel Pansy Brooch

Dating to circa 1910, this Arts & Crafts sterling silver brooch takes the form of a pansy rendered in richly colored enamel with finely rendered radiating detail that gives the petals the appearance of natural veining. Deep violet upper petals overlap golden yellow lower petals, with touches of pale blue-green and green defining the flower's center. 

The silver outlines remain visible between the individual areas of color, defining the flower almost like a drawing in metal. Rather than relying on gemstones, the brooch gets its character from layered color, line, and carefully observed botanical form.

Pansies carried a particularly fitting association in sentimental jewelry. Their name was traditionally connected with the French pensée, meaning “thought,” and the flower became associated with remembrance and the idea of “think of me.” By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, pansies appeared frequently in jewelry and other decorative arts, where their distinctive coloring made them especially well suited to enamel.