A late 19th-century devotional high-relief plaque depicting the Infant Christ (Child Jesus), seated in flowing robes while holding a Latin cross in one hand and a flaming Sacred Heart in the other. Executed in white bas-relief, the figure is presented beneath protective convex glass within a beaded gilt-metal bezel, surrounded by a pebbled mat and framed in a molded ebonized oval wood frame.

Representations of the Child Jesus holding symbols of the Passion alongside the Sacred Heart were popular themes in 19th-century Catholic iconography, frequently crafted for private prayer rooms and personal altars across Western Europe.

Framing & Provenance

• Subject / Sitter: Infant Christ with Cross and Sacred Heart
• Period: Victorian / Napoleon III (circa 1870–1900)
• Origin: France
• Material / Technique: Moulded white relief (biscuit porcelain or gesso), brass bezel, convex glass, ebonized wood frame
• Framing: Molded oval wood frame with convex glass lens and top brass suspension loop
• Decorative Details: Beaded gilt-metal inner liner and textured matted border
• Condition: Structural split to lower rim of wooden frame; paper backing brittle and torn with age; relief plaque and convex glass intact and well-preserved

History

Devotional wall plaques featuring sacred figures encased beneath convex glass (verre bombé) were widespread during the late 19th century, particularly across France and Belgium. Mounted in dark, ebonized oval frames, these personal religious objects combined Neoclassical relief sculpture with traditional Catholic domestic piety.