Absolutely exquisite high relief plaster bust of the Virgin Mary by French artist E'tienne Germain Ragoneau.  This is a stunning example of religious devotional art from the Second Empire.  Ragoneau was born in France in 1808 and was known for making these hauntingly beautiful plaster busts between 1840 and 1870.  

This piece is framed in a round lacquered black wood frame with it's original convex glass.  It is signed Ragoneau and also has what appears to be a French address and a date.  Unfortunately, the date is very difficult to make out.  The back of the frame has been repapered as the original backing has disintegrated but the original framer's label as been reattached, Gauvain Aine Objects D'art Sujets Religieux Grande-Galerie des Panoramas 22.