Cover your sky, Zeus!

Vintage Shell Cameo Of Prometheus In Silver, Mid 20th Century.

€ 389.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Vintage Shell Cameo Of Prometheus In Silver, Mid 20th Century.

Description

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

Cover your sky, Zeus, With cloudy mist! And practice, boys like, Who beheads thistles, On oaks and mountain heights! For the young Goethe, the power of Zeus, the father of the gods, must have been a point of friction. As against him, he wrote his "Prometheus" a hymn to the representative of the Titans, which raises complaints against the world of the gods and is marked by reproaches and ridicule. And yet, throughout the 19th century, the depiction of ancient deities remained an expression of classical education and refined taste. The shell cameo here shows Prometheus, probably one of the most unusual figures in ancient mythology. As a bringer of fire and a teacher, Prometheus is considered the originator of human civilization. According to the myth, as a demiurge, he created the first humans from clay and endowed them with properties. However, mistakes were made in the process, the consequences of which mankind suffers from to this day. Our cameo shows Prometheus in the act of creation. The Titan is depicted unclothed and just about to form the first man from clay, which is still missing the arms. The scene was cut in shell in the middle years of the last century, probably at the Bay of Naples. A plain setting in silver makes it wearable both as a pendant and a brooch. The piece of jewellery, which found its way to us from an important Berlin collection, is very well preserved and a wonderful collectible.

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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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Size & Details

Cover your sky, Zeus!

€ 389.00 ^*

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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Cover your sky, Zeus!

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