Essex crystal — properly called reverse intaglio crystal, though the "Essex" name stuck after a 19th century engraver made his reputation on the technique — involves carving an image into the back of a rock crystal dome and painting it in reverse, so the finished picture is viewed the right way round through the convex front of the stone. It's a fiddly, unforgiving process: every brushstroke has to be planned in mirror image, and mounting the painted crystal onto mother-of-pearl gives the finished image a soft, pearly glow behind the colour that flat glass simply can't replicate.
This cufflink pairs two entirely different worlds on its two halves — a ballerina mid-dance on one side, a jockey astride his horse on the other, which is a properly odd combination unless you assume the original owner had genuine enthusiasms in both directions. Both halves carry a stamped mark on the reverse, set within a silver-plated mount, and the level of detail achievable in such a small format is a decent argument for why reverse intaglio work has stayed collectible long after most Edwardian novelty jewellery fell out of fashion.
Condition notes
Very good antique condition. Some light scuffing to the crystal and tarnishing to mounts commensurate with age and wear.
