Pair Antique 1800s Victorian Reverse Painted Cockatoos Peonies Rosewood Frames

Pair of antique oval Victorian-era reverse-painted artworks, one with cockatoos and the other with peony flowers, encased in heavy carved rosewood frames. This exquisite and unique set is from the mid to late 1800s, made sometime during the Victorian era. These very detailed and lifelike pictures are reverse-painted directly onto the glass, then small holes were scratched into the paint and foil was applied in order to give it additional depth and appeal. The sparkling effect is almost impossible to capture in a photo, but in person it is easily seen as you tilt the painting back and forth or change your viewpoint, creating a sense of life and movement to the subjects. The second to last picture shows many of the tiny areas on the birds that the foil shines through, just so you get the idea, and the last picture shows a small strip of foil that is visible at the edge of the cutout. Even the manner in which the painting is done is unique, with the maroon background, visible white brushstrokes, and black outlines. Where the white layer must have been thickest, between the maroon edges and the flowers or birds, you can even see areas where there were air bubbles trapped under the paint. The heavy frames are a solid rosewood top layer with a dark stain, and there is a carved rose at each compass point of the frame. The frame has two main layers, with the oval rosewood and the added bead work around the outer and inner border attached to six segmental sections of unknown wood as a base. You can see the beautiful grain of the rosewood in the top oval section, and the finely joined segmental seams of the base wood when you look at the side and backs of the pieces. The bead work around the outer border is definitely made of wood, which you can see because there are a few small sections missing due to cracks that have developed over the years. I believe the inner border to be gilded gesso which is common in Victorian frames, but although it also has some cracks thankfully there are no missing pieces so I can’t be sure. I believe the finish on the frames to be original; I only polished them to get them to their current glossy state. The glass looks original and is without cracks or discoloration. As expected for its age, the glass of both shows some waviness, bubbles, and tiny marks, but only on very close inspection. The backs have a rough-cut unfinished surface with a rectangular cutout, one of which is the original wood and the other replaced by cardboard -from the look of it many years ago. There is some staining/discoloration of this piece of cardboard, but no odor. On the back of the cockatoos wood panel you can very faintly see “#2 of 2”, (upside down) so presumably the original wood panel for the peonies said, “#1 of 2”. Also very faintly on the upper right on the back of the flowers you can make out “$4.00 ea” (I think.) There is no signature visible on either the front or the back. The condition of these two artworks and their frames is very good, especially when you consider that they are between 125 to 175 years old. The reverse-painting of both is amazingly completely intact, there is no flaking paint at all - any tiny marks in the paint are deliberate, for the foil to sparkle through. The frames do have some scratches, dings, worn spots, cracks, small areas of dullness to the finish, and other minor signs of age, but in general they are gorgeous. There are two very small pieces of missing outer bead work on the birds frame and one on the peonies frame, and small cracks are visible all along this and the inner bead work borders. There is a crack that travels across part of the wooden frame on the lower right of the peonies frame, but the frame is solid - both artworks are structurally intact with no movement of the frame layers, glass or backing. Please examine all pictures closely in order to fully assess for yourself the condition of these two artworks. Measurements are: length 14.125”/36cm, width 12.125”/30.5cm, height 1.25”/3cm, height to top of compass point carvings 1.5”/4cm, inner frame length 9.625”/24.5cm, width 7.625”/19cm; rectangular cutout on back length 10.125”/26cm, width 8.125”/20.5cm, cutout depth 0.375”/1cm, weight each 1 lb 14oz. These two Victorian era beauties would add elegance to any room and are sure to be conversations starters! Shipped with USPS Parcel Select Ground.Thank you for visiting my store! Feel free to check out my other items to see if there’s something else that catches your eye. I will gladly combine shipping if you purchase more than one item. Please view all pictures carefully as they most accurately depict the condition of an item. I take the best measurements and pictures that I can but I’m not a professional, so if you have questions or would like more pictures of something please don’t hesitate to send me a message. I describe each item to the extent of my knowledge but I am NOT an expert, only someone with a lifetime collecting all kinds of things and the desire to share what I know. Please note that all of my items are vintage and previously owned, and will have some degree of wear and tear and signs of aging. I am an environmentally conscious seller so I do reuse boxes and packaging material from items that I buy, but only if they meet my high standards of cleanliness. I have always been known for my very careful packaging to make sure there will be no movement or breakage while in transit, but if damage does occur during shipping or if you are unhappy with your purchase for ANY reason, please contact me right away and I promise to make it right. After you’ve had a chance to examine your purchase, I would be very appreciative if you could leave me some positive feedback and I will do the same for you. Your feedback is more important than you know for a small seller like me (I do read all of them!) Thanks again, I really appreciate your business!