The Golden Fleece

Large Vintage Bangle In The Shape Of A Ram With Diamonds In Gold, Circa 1980

€ 4,980.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Large Vintage Bangle In The Shape Of A Ram With Diamonds In Gold, Circa 1980

Description

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

The story begins, like so many ancient sagas, with an adultery. King Athamas and his wife Nephele had drifted apart, the king had a mistress. But this one hated the children of Nephele, Helle and especially the pretender to the throne Phrixos. Nephele realized that her children were in danger. She therefore requested the help of the gods and Chrysomeles was sent to her, a talking, flying ram with a coat of gold.... He took the children on his back and carried them away to the east. When he crossed the strait that separates Europe and Asia, Helle slipped off his back and fell into the water, which was named after her Hellespont (Sea of Helle). Phrixos, however, the ram deposited safely in Colchis, a country on the Black Sea ruled by King Aietes. Phrixos was hospitably received, and out of gratitude that the gods had preserved his life, they sacrificed Chrysomeles in the temple of Zeus (which is a rather unique form of gratitude to the ram from today's perspective, but was apparently understandable at the time). Aietes received the ram's skin of Chrysomeles, the precious Golden Fleece, hung it up in the sacred grove of the god Ares and had it guarded by a ship-sized dragon that never slept. Later, the skin was stolen by Jason and the Argonauts, for it had become a badge of Aietes' royalty and power. Jewellery with the motive of the golden fleece was already known in the antiquity. It was a sign of position and power, as it was for Aietes, but it also always held the hope of being protected by the gods, as Nephele once was. In addition, it is of course simply a convincing idea to depict the golden coat of gold. Therefore, corresponding pieces are encountered in the 1870s and even in the 1980s goldsmiths and jewelers such as David Webb produced jewellery in the form of rams. The bangle we have here reminded us of this ancient legend. For not only is the ram's hide made of gold: The bracelet even finishes with a wonderfully sculpted ram's head with curled horns. More than one carat of diamonds enrich the impression, blue and white enamel decorates the fur in the area of the head. The hoop is designed around a bendable spring, so it can be bent up a bit when you want to put it on. It is very well preserved and a magnificent sight. An sight that promises protection at the same time, perhaps.

Size & Details

The Golden Fleece

€ 4,980.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Our Promise

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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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The Golden Fleece

Bracelets & Bangles

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