MORETTO NARDI brooch, The Traforo model, 1940's. With a corporeal "moretto" bust with carved ebony

MORETTO NARDI brooch, The Traforo model, 1940's. With a corporeal "moretto" bust with carved ebony head and richly worked tunic-like garment, decorated with topaz. Double clip fastening. Signed.
Weight: 19,5 gr.
Measurements: 48 x 22 x 15 mm.
The origins of these figures go back to the times when Saracen pirates were stalking the coasts of Dalmatia. During the centuries of the Turkish invasion, the sailors of the coastal villages wore a pendant with the figure of a Moor. In case of shipwreck, they used the pendant to pay for the journey home, or they donated them to the churches to thank them for having escaped from danger.
Thanks to the NARDI Jewellers of Venice in 1920, it became a whim for royalty and, later, for celebrities of all kinds. After Giulio's wedding and the inclusion of the piece in the house's catalogue, they became the preferred gift for the bride and groom in Venice.
The first commissions for these Moretti by illustrious names were from Grace Kelly and Queen Paola of Belgium. The latter, whose first Moretti was given to her by her husband, Albert, as an engagement present.