A stunning batch of reliquary hearts.............

This is what I found yesterday that made me absolutely delighted........................

Tucked away on a table in the corner of the brocante.....a batch of stunning 19th century reliquary heart lockets in amazing condition..............

Each one opens to reveal a little chamber where a hand written prayer would have been placed.............

The bejewelled one is an amazing confection and has started to verdi gris with age..............

Each has a small hanging ring at the back for wall hanging or a chain, the smaller ones are very wearable as a locket pendant. They would also make stunning picture hangers if used with a ribbon.

Finding just one is amazing but to find six in simply incredible! The lady who had set up her stand had nothing else old at all.....nothing.....not even a book or two. It was all modern and shiny. I bought them without haggling ( yes..... now you know I was in shock!!) and walked calmly away. Then I went around the nearest corner did 17 somersaults, three cartwheels, a full olympic gymnastic floor display with ribbons and sang the French national anthem!

When it happens like this I always want to quiz the seller......where have they come from?.......................where have they been for all these years to be in such wonderful condition?......who owned them? But, it`s not always a good thing to ask as too much excitement can make a seller change their mind and decide to keep them. Then I would have been totally desolate as seeing them and then having them taken away would have been torture. That happened to me years ago when I was asking a man about a very pretty piece of toile he was just about to sell me, his wife stood and listened to my questions, took it from him, put it back in the car and said she had decided to keep it!

I shall keep one for myself and list the others in my auctions this week.