Swedish Sterling Silver Enamel Portrait of a Sighthound

Here at Kirsten’s Corner, we love sighthounds—and this amazing portrait of a beloved pet on a sterling silver pendant exemplifies some of the best enamel portraiture. A grayish-white Borzoi sighthound seems to be smiling with a knowing gaze, a happy and loyal dog at his best. The portrait has fine details and appears to pop against the background, as if three-dimensional. The background is a beautiful light blue guilloche enamel, translucent enough that the engraved texture of the sterling silver behind it can be seen shining through. The result is a glassy translucent surface with engine-turned and wavy patterns beneath it. The back of the pendant features the same beautiful guilloche work. The light blue enamel and sterling silver make for a cool and shimmering color palette, a perfect complement to the grey, white, and pink hues found in the image of the sighthound. 

The pendant measures 1” across, plus a 4.7 x 6.6 mm bail. The piece weighs 5.15 grams. The marks are slightly cut off, but enough of a hallmark can be seen to identify this piece as Swedish and sterling silver.