I'm unsure what that medal is. A Maltese cross with black ribbon. Not Legion of Honor, but some significant membership, I should think. I have some good longtime customers who are more expert in uniforms and medals and all thing military and perhaps they'll see this and lend their expertise. My thought is, being this is 10-15 years past Napoleon's era, yet this young man still wears a bit of a Napoleonic hairstyle, that perhaps he may have served under Napoleon. Or with the black ribbon, does he mourn a relative who did? I wonder this also because it has the unusual addition of that black and gold back-painted cover glass (eglomise), which is more typically a mourning motif/tool. The work is an art unto itself, but they always leave me wishing we had the person's story. Measurements are noted on our photos.
Very good to excellent for age and type. Uniquely framed, a back-painted convex cover glass which is often used in mourning, and in silk embroidery frames with a mourning theme. The old wooden frame is in good form but for an age/shrinkage crack you can see there mid-bottom. One could certainly glue/clamp it to improve it. I have not done so. The brilliant gold mat would definitely be a gold plated mat, if not a relatively thick front facing of 18k attached to front of a usual brass mounting. I did not take it apart to test it, but there is no sign at all of tarnish, and this was a practice in miniatures of noted families who could afford it thus.
