Antique French Painted Miniature Lapel Frame Ornament

Antique French Painted Miniature Lapel Frame Ornament

2 ¼” x 1 ⅝”

A petite late 19th–early 20th century French painted brass miniature frame, originally designed to be worn or pinned onto clothing. The small projecting arm beneath the bow crest is characteristic of lapel and ribbon-worn frames of the period—pieces made to hold tiny portraits or devotional images. This example retains its original green and red painted border, beveled glass, and finely shaped bow crest.

I’ve paired it with a fragment of 19th-century French handwritten script and finished it with deep red velvet ribbon sourced in Paris from the city’s oldest passementerie house, a workshop that has produced ribbon and trim for more than 200 years.

Styling

A charming accent for the tree, but equally lovely tied onto a cabinet knob or incorporated into a year-round vignette. Its miniature scale and original wearable form give it a quiet presence that reads as both historic and decorative.

Historical Context

Painted miniature frames with bow crests were popular in France from the late 1800s through the early 1900s. Wearable versions—like this one—were used as lapel frames or hung from a ribbon, often containing portrait miniatures or small devotional images. The surviving polychrome border and original beveled glass point to a better-quality example. The velvet ribbon comes from the oldest passementerie atelier in Paris, known for more than two centuries of traditional craftsmanship.