Art Nouveau Plique-a-Jour Silver Pendant of a Mermaid on Silver Chain

A rare Art Nouveau silver pendant of a mermaid on a silver chain. She is finely modelled and gilded over the silver. The background is swirling seaweed on a background of green plique a jour enamel. Plique a jour is French for “letting in daylight”. It is a vitreous enamelling technique where the enamel is applied in cells, similar to cloisonné, but with no backing in the final product, so light can shine through the transparent or translucent enamel. It was made circa 1900-1910 and is most likely French.