Bijou box

Wooden jewelry box with pewter repoussé medallions with flying birds. The medallions all have a recess behind which a piece of shell with lots of pink can be seen. The rest of the background of the medallions is polychromed in matching colors of blue-green-pink. Made around 1900 in France, where this type of craft was mainly made at home by female artists. It was seen as an artistic activity that was not threatening to male artists.