The Fruits of Demeter

Three-Dimensional Shell Cameo of the Goddess Demeter, circa 1900

€ 790.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Unit price €790.00 / piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Three-Dimensional Shell Cameo of the Goddess Demeter, circa 1900

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 shell cameo here shows a detailed representation of the goddess Demeter. The goddess has been vividly rendered en face, turning her face ever so slightly to the right. Corn sheafs in her hair distinguish Demeter as the goddess of agriculture. Her garment is an ancient peblos. The clear separation between the tinted white of the portrait and the softly darker ground of the shell is also particularly beautiful here. In ancient mythology, Demeter is the goddess of fertility and harvest. She was a sister of Zeus and actually an affable goddess. However, when Hades, the god of the underworld, kidnaps her daughter Persephone with the help of Zeus, things change. Demeter was so enraged that she forbade the trees to bear fruit and prevented the plants from growing, in order to take revenge on the gods and to let the people on earth die. Zeus had to give in and asked Hades to release Persephone. The gods agreed on the following deal: Persephone would be with Hades in the underworld for three months of the year and would be allowed to spend the remaining nine months with Demeter. Demeter agreed and allowed the earth to become fertile again. From the now constantly repeating cycle of Persephone's journey to the underworld and her return three months later to earth, the seasons have developed, according to legend. The cameo is held by a simple silver setting. We discovered the late Victorian piece in London.

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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 was to 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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Productdetails

The Fruits of Demeter

€ 790.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Unit price €790.00 / 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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The Fruits of Demeter

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