Enchanting Beauty

Magnificent Shell Cameo as a Brooch Set in Gold, ca. 1850

€ 1,190.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Magnificent Shell Cameo as a Brooch Set in Gold, ca. 1850

Description

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

A shell cameo of the middle 19th century is presented here in a brooch. We see, rendered in profile, a beautiful young lady with flowing hair. She is dressed in a ram's skin and wears rich jewellery of vine leaves, vines and grapes in her hair. An engraved and chiseled setting of gold holds the cameo and makes it wearable as a brooch. The sitter is a so-called Bacchante, a follower of the Greek god Dionysus, who was famous and infamous for his lavish feasts, the so-called "Bacchanalia". The Roman Bacchanalia probably originated from spring festivals. At the beginning of the 2nd century BC, the cult celebrations developed into excessive revelries accompanied by dances and orgies, which were held in secret. In later centuries, bacchants became synonymous with celebrating fun-loving people, but especially with lovers of good wine. The shell cameo, created in the years around 1840, shows one of these bacchantes in her enchanting beauty. The cut of the cameo is extremely vivid and rich in detail and testifies to the high skill of its presumably Italian cameo cutter. Especially the details of the clothing and the vines leave us amazed in their finesse of execution. The relief stands out brightly against the dark ground of the shell and a thyrsos staff is added to the figure as an attribute. The fineness of the engraving is matched by the quality of the setting in high karat gold, which also shows fine engravings in plant forms in detail. Thus, this piece of jewelry is particularly suitable to be a gift for a person who is not averse to the pleasures of life and loves the world of classical antiquity as much as the presence at glittering parties.

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Shell cameos with mythological motifs were created especially in the 19th century in Italy for travelers on a Grand Tour. This so-called cavalier tour, which should perfect the education of the travelers, led to the ancient buildings, to the art collections of Rome and Naples and the early tourists brought from their journey small souvenirs across the Alps, which should tell of the experiences of the Italian journey.

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Size & Details

Enchanting Beauty

€ 1,190.00 ^*

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.

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