RARE Extra Large Gilded Bronze Brass French Sacred Heart with Antique Convent Work Pouch

An extraordinarily large sacred heart, it measures 8 1/2" tall. It was found in the south of France, near Avignon, and comes with a beautiful convent work pouch. The materials of the pouch date towards 1860; the sacred heart towards 1880. The pouch is made of an old ecclesiastic vestment using the brocade silk fabric and cotton braid. The Maltese cross at the center is entirely handworked, in grey silk/cotton thread, with an alternating running stitch. The gilt thread outlines are hand sewn using tubular gilt trim (you can see the tiny stitches running horizontally. The sacred heart is set with over 100 faceted glass stones ranging from large to very small on the initial, "M". It is a three part construction; the bottom gilded bronze frame (consisting of an outer braided band which forms the channel for the stone settings and the mount for the front "door" of the heart), the top heavily domed heart shaped "door" and the flat back "door. The gilded brass top heart half has a large