Cupid’s Arrows

Victorian Gold Brooch with a Shell Cameo of Cupid, c. 1860s

€ 1,290.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Victorian Gold Brooch with a Shell Cameo of Cupid, c. 1860s

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 brooch presents an artfully cut cameo with a motif that has its origins in the world of ancient mythology: Cupid, the little god of love, himself the son of Venus, the goddess of love. Cupid has various tasks in classical mythology. One of them is to shoot arrows at people with his bow - usually blindfolded, so that his arrows can hit unplanned, by chance or even accidentally. His quiver contains different arrows with different tips: Some are made of gold, others of lead. If a golden arrow hits the target, they are inflamed with the fire of love; if a lead one hits, they remain indifferent and unimpressed by the charms of another person. On our shell cameo, we see the naked, winged Cupid boy with bow and quiver, his hand pondering on his chin - who knows who his next target will be? The cameo was set around 1865 as a brooch in a wide gold frame in the archaeological style and has been preserved in its original case. It comes from the estate of an English lord from Cornwall. A must for any collection of mythological cameos and cameos - and a wonderful gift for the lady or gentleman of the heart!

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For centuries, owning antique cameos and cameos was an aspiration of almost all important collections of decorative arts and cabinets of curiosities - from the Green Vault in Dresden and 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 comprehensive collections of impressions of ancient seal stones and cameos, which almost completely represented the pictorial language of ancient glyptic art. They were not only regarded as precious works of art, but also as an expression of humanist education. They often depicted figures from the Olympian heaven of the gods or mythological scenes from Greco-Roman antiquity. Travelers to Italy have always played a special role in the spread of stone and shell carvings north of the Alps. They brought impressions, cut stones and engraved shells home with them from their educational journeys to enjoy the stories told by these artistically designed objects. The art of cameo cutter has survived to this day in Italy - especially in the Bay of Naples, where it has been passed down through the generations. Today, the Scuola dei Cammei in Torre del Greco is the world's only large-scale training center for cameo cutters in Italy. Unfortunately, the mythological themes of the past have largely been lost there.

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Size & Details

Cupid’s Arrows

€ 1,290.00 ^*

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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Cupid’s Arrows

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