Patriotic jewellery set with medallions representing the seven Ionian islands became popular in the first half of the 19th century. The Ionian Islands had been under British protection since the Treaty of Paris in 1815, but from around 1830, after Greek independence, they began to press for union with Greece. A burgeoning attempt at independence in 1849–50 was suppressed with a brutality which caused consternation in some parts of the British press and prompted Parliamentary discussion. The islands were finally ceded to Greece in 1862.

The seven islands and their symbols were listed by the Illustrated London News in 1851 as: Ithaca with a head of Ulysses, Santa Maura (present-day Lefkada) with a harp, as the death-place of Sappho, Cephalonia with Cephalus, a dart and KΕΦ, in the centre Corfu with arms and emblems, Zante (Zakynthos) with a tripod, Cerigo (Kythira) with Venus emerging from a shell (the island was her supposed birthplace), and Paxos with a trident, as sacred to Neptune.

This brooch is made with a silver filigree frame around the roundels representing the islands. The assay marks indicate that it was made in Malta. It was shown at the 1872 International Exhibition, from which the museum purchased it for nine shillings.