Antique early to mid-19th century Austro-Hungarian hollow gilt brass Biedermeier brooch. c1850. An antique in excellent  condition, only a few scratches on the back. 35mm x 27mm x 7mm. This brooch was purchased in an antique shop in Prague. The Biedermeier period refers to an era in Central Europe during which the middle-class grew and arts appealed to common sensibilities in the historical period between 1815, the year of the Congress of Vienna at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and 1848, the year of the European revolutions. Although the term itself is a historical reference, it is predominantly used to denote the artistic styles that flourished at that time.