Mission for the God of Love

Antique Biedermeier Shell Cameo With Venus & Cupid, Around 1840

€ 398.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Antique Biedermeier Shell Cameo With Venus & Cupid, Around 1840

Description

This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!

This unusual cameo shows an exciting motif that has its origins in the world of Greek mythology. With a beautiful cut the shell is used to present an episode from the life of Venus and Cupid. To the popular couple of the classical mythology is owed many a great fortune, but also many a misfortune. The goddess of love Venus, born from a shell and responsible for the flourishing of love on earth, had a little helper: the god of love Cupid. Cupid shoots arrows at people with a small bow - and he usually does this blindfolded, so that his love arrows can also strike unplanned, accidentally and by mistake. His quiver holds projectiles with different kinds of tips for this purpose. One half of the arrowheads is made of gold, the other half is made of lead. Hit by a golden arrow, people ignite in the fire of love, penetrated by an arrow made of lead, you remain indifferent and unimpressed by the charms of another person. On our shell cameo we see the naked winged boy accepting a myrtle wreath from the hand of Venus with outstretched arms. The lightly clad Venus sits on a rock and looks expectantly. Perhaps she has given the Cupid boy the order to deliver the wreath to someone who will fall in love? The little messenger of love seems joyfully excited and the goddess also seems confident! The cameo was probably cut in Italy in the years around 1840 and then provided with an elaborate setting of gilded pinchbeck. Due to the motif and workmanship, the highly decorative piece is an ideal addition to any collection of mythological cameos.

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For centuries, possessing antique cameos was the claim of almost all great collections and chambers of curiosities, from the Green Vault in Dresden to the treasury of Rudolf II to large private collections such as that of Baron von Stosch in later times. The 18th and 19th centuries produced numerous large imprint collections of antique sealstones and cameos, which sought to represent the ancient imagery of glyptic in its entirety, they were also an expression of a humanistic education. Of particular importance for the transmission of stone and shell carvings north of the Alps have always been travellers to Italy, who brought home imprints and carved stones as well as engraved shells from their educational journeys in order to enjoy the stories that the shells could tell. The art of cameo cutting has survived to this day in Italy, especially in the Bay of Naples, where it has been passed down from generation to generation. Today, the Scuola dei Cammei in Torre del Greco is the only large-scale training center for cameo cutters in the world, but unfortunately the mythological theme world as a subject has been almost completely lost.

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Size & Details

Mission for the God of Love

€ 398.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Our Promise

We want you to be 100% satisfied! For that reason, we examine, describe and photograph all of our jewellery with the utmost care.

You can rely on our years of experience in the trade and our expertise as a professional art historians for reviews of the antique jewellery. As a member of various trade organisations and the British Society of Jewellery Historians, we remain committed to the highest possible degree of accuracy. In our descriptions, we always also indicate any signs of age and defects and never hide them in our photos – this saves you from any unpleasant surprises when your package arrives.

Should you for some reason not be satisfied, please don’t hesitate to contact us so that we can find a solution together. In any case, you can return any article within one month and we will refund the full purchase price.

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Mission for the God of Love

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