An Exquisite And Rare Set Of Three Antique French Sacred Hearts, Silver, 1800's

This is an absolutely exquisite and extremely rare set of three antique French flaming hearts or ex votos made in silver. Dating from the 19th century this remarkable collection represents the Immaculate Hearts of Mary as they are all imbossed - in fabulous designs - with the initials "AM" standing for "Ave Maria". Each heart opens so that it could hold a precious object within it such as a piece of jewellery, a paper note with a prayer, a photograh of a loved one etc. In addition, each one has a little ring on its back that allows them to be worn on a necklace if desired or to be used as hanging decorative treasures. The largest one is about 10.5 cm or 4.1 inches in height, while the smallest one is about 5.5 cm or approximately 2.1 inches. They are in great antique condition with minor signs of ageing. The middle sized heart has a minute dent on its back which hardly takes away any of its true beauty and splendour. They are all hallmarked for French silver [the purest in Europe] and exactly as I discovered them. For the full condition please refer to the images!