Striking and somber quarter plate daguerreotype of a very old woman housed in a rare circular locket-style case. Her age is etched into her deeply lined features, her expression calm but alert, wearing a dark dress and a white cap. The clarity of the plate is strong, with excellent contrast and retention of detail, especially in her wrinkled hands and weathered face. Light hand-coloring to her cheeks is faintly visible.

The case is constructed in the manner of a pocket watch, complete with an attached ring and engine-turned exterior. Both sides are richly ornamented in period guilloché-style patterns, and the locket opens to reveal the photograph protected behind glass on one side and a dark fabric pad on the other. The clasp functions properly and the entire piece shows expected signs of age but no damage of note. Rarely do daguerreotypes appear in this kind of precious circular housing—much less depicting such an elderly sitter, making this a superb and unusual example of photographic jewelry from the daguerreian era.