Late 19th/Early 20th Century Still Life Oil Painting of a Crab and Eggs

This item is an original oil painting on board or canvas, depicting a classic kitchen still life arrangement. The central composition features a cooked orange crab resting on a woven straw mat, positioned next to a decorated ceramic bowl overflowing with white eggs. In the background, a dark glass bottle is visible, while a sliced lemon sits to the right, adding a bright color contrast. The artist utilizes a chiaroscuro technique with a focused light source from the left, creating deep shadows and luminous highlights on the shells and egg surfaces. A signature is visible in the lower right corner, likely identifying a European school painter. The artwork is housed in a substantial and ornate Giltwood Rococo-style frame characterized by high-relief canti-curved corners, floral scrolls, and beaded inner borders. The framing shows signs of age-related wear including minor losses to the gilding and small surface cracks (craquelure) consistent with late 19th-century construction. The painting surface appears generally stable, though it exhibits a natural aged patina and minor surface dirt that could benefit from professional cleaning. The craftsmanship suggests a skilled hand with good attention to texture, particularly in the rendering of the woven mat and the translucency of the eggshells.