19TH-CENTURY CARVED MOTHER OF PEARL MAINCULE "POINTING" PIN

This 19th-century carved mother of pearl "pointing" hand pin draws on the long visual tradition of the “manicule,” a hand motif historically used to direct attention in manuscripts and printed material.  Its finely shaped form and luminous organic material reflect the Victorian fascination with symbolic and figural jewelry, when pins and brooches served both decorative and communicative roles in dress.