Art Deco Mother of Pearl and Black Enamel Cross Plaque Pendant with Marcasite Accents, Circa 1920s-1930s

Small stepped Art Deco plaque with a pale, lustrous mother of pearl panel inset with a slender black enamel Latin cross, framed in black enamel and flanked by tiny marcasite-set side panels, with a loop at the top and bottom so it can hang as a pendant or join a rosary or chain.

Crisp black-and-white geometry was the signature of Art Deco design in the 1920s and 1930s, and French makers in particular applied it to devotional jewelry, pairing mother of pearl and onyx-black enamel with sparkling marcasite. The sober black and white palette also made such pieces suitable to wear in mourning.

Shows wear and light verdigris at the edges; a few marcasite settings are dark or empty.