An antique European devotional ex-voto flaming heart (coeur votif), crafted in embossed and repoussé silvered metal. The central domed heart is surrounded by a border of punched dots and a pierced lace-like scalloped rim, topped with stylized flames of devotion. At center is an applied gilded cipher featuring the intertwined monogram of the Virgin Mary ("Auspice Maria" / "Ave Maria") crowned with a stylized floral wreath. Two small suspension holes near the base of the flame allowed the plaque to be hung in a sanctuary or attached to a religious statue.

Historical & Style Details

• Subject / Sitter: Sacred Heart / Immaculate Heart of Mary (Ex-voto)
• Period: Victorian (1837–1901)
• Origin: France
• Material / Technique: repoussé silvered metal, pierced sheet metal, gilded brass applied monogram
• Markings: hand-engraved/stamped marks to reverse, including "S" and numeric marks
• Decorative Details: pierced dentelle scalloped border, flaming crest, applied gold-tone "AM" cipher crowned with floral wreath
• Condition: age-appropriate dark tarnish and patina throughout, light surface wear, minor bending to delicate metal rim

History

Ex-voto hearts—derived from the Latin *ex voto suscepto*, meaning "from the vow made"—were created as physical manifestations of prayer, devotion, or gratitude for answered miracles in Catholic Europe, particularly throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Typically crafted in silver or silver-plated sheet metal, these pieces were gifted to shrines, hung on altar walls, or affixed to statues of the Madonna. The intertwined "AM" symbol stands for *Auspice Maria* ("Under the protection of Mary"), a quintessential Marian emblem in 19th-century ecclesiastical metalwork.