Made in Portugal circa the 1920’s, this sterling silver medallion has a beautiful portrait of the Virgin Mary. The repoussé image was pounded into the piece, giving it significant dimensionality, and a polished flat piece of silver was added to the back of the medallion to create a smooth, hollow finish. In the image, the Virgin Mary gazes up towards the sky, crowned by a halo and eight small stars. Angels watch over her from a cloudy sky. The layers of her hair and robe add stunning depth, and a lovely patina gives shading that makes the details of the image pop.
This is a large medallion that measures 2” across. It has an oval jump ring that measures 7.9 x 11.3 mm to accommodate a thicker chain. The piece weighs 10.8 grams.
The medallion is marked on the bail as 833 silver from Portugal. The signature of the artist, T. Tuna, can be found in the corner of the medallion.
