The front of the fob depicts a man and woman, LE PERE 1846-1912 and LA MERE 1850-1940.
The back of the fob has The Tree of Life with the words 'CULTE ANTOINISTE' in the branches.
Below the tree are the words: l' arbre de la science de la view ou mal, which translated mean: the tree of knowledge of the view or poorly
I was first drawn to the wonderful detail on the front of this fob. Little did I know that I would discover a religious sect, or cult as it is sometimes called, started in 1910!
Antoinism is a new religious movement founded in 1910 by the Walloon Louis-Joseph Antoine (1846-1912) in Jemeppe-sur-Meuse (Seraing). Mainly focused on healing, the group has many temples in Belgium and France.
The group believes in a moral progression through reincarnation. They believe in a dualistic Universe in which matter is an illusion. They consider Louis-Joseph Antoine to be the "Father." This makes him, in France, the arbiter between humanity and God or even the reincarnation of Jesus. They tolerate other religions as they see them as detaching people from the material world.
This fabulous fob now hangs from 3 antique brass links with mottled green colored cabachon stones set in the center. The links were found in an antique store, just remnants of what I presume was a bracelet. Various vintage brass chain allows this to grace your neck at just over 16 in ( 40.64 cm ), a perfect length to showcase this attention getting necklace!
Absolutely One of a Kind
You can find this piece here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/60256855/fabulous-french-fob
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