Winckelmann's favorite

Antique Gold Ring with a Berlin Iron Cameo of the Apollo of the Belvedere, c. 1820

€ 1,490.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Antique Gold Ring with a Berlin Iron Cameo of the Apollo of the Belvedere, c. 1820

Description

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

It was a sensation when an ancient marble statue of the god Apollo was found in the Villa Neros in Anzio, Italy, at the end of the 15th century: As beautiful and as perfectly preserved as few works of antiquity, the statue, based on a Greek bronze model by Leochares, is considered an outstanding example of classical sculpture. Initially in the Gonzaga collection, Giuliano della Rovere, who later became Pope Julius II, soon secured the work. From 1511, it was exhibited in the courtyard of the Belvedere, a summer villa north of St. Peter's that was later connected to the papal palace complex on the Vatican. The Apollo is still on display here today as part of the Vatican Museums' collection. For the founding father of art history, Johann Joachim Winckelmann, the Apollo of Belvedere was "the highest ideal of art among all the works of antiquity". His description of Apollo contributed to the sculpture's influence on the aesthetics of classicism in particular. Thus Goethe wrote to Herder in the summer of 1771, completely moved by his own contemplation of the sculpture: "My whole self is shaken, you can imagine that, man, and it is still far too much in flames for my pen to draw steadily. Apollo of Belvedere, why do you show yourself in your nakedness so that we must be ashamed of ours?" This reddish gold ring presents the Apollo of the Belvedere as an iron casting from the early 19th century. The profile portrait of the young man in classical antique garb stands out in slight relief from its oval background. His gaze is directed to the right, his leonine hair is adorned with a ribbon and a large hair bow is depicted as a distinguishing feature of this specific Belvedere depiction of Apollo. The iron god was probably cast in Berlin. The gold setting is no less impressive in its simplicity and features three-part ring shoulders reminiscent of lilies. It dates from around 1820, at the same time as the iron angels were created, and is a wonderful testimony to the longing for antiquity of classicism. Who wouldn't want to be in the company of the most beautiful man of classical antiquity?

Learn more

During the Napoleonic Wars at the beginning of the 19th century, the Prussian Princess Marianne initiated a campaign under the slogan "Gold I gave for iron" to contribute to the defense of Prussia, a homeland threatened by France: In a large procession on the boulevard Unter den Linden in Berlin, the ladies of society, led by the princess, offered their gold jewelry as a gift to the king. The gold collected in this way was used to finance the fight against Napoleon and his troops; in exchange for their jewels, the donors received pieces of cast iron jewelry, which they wore with patriotic pride from then on. The great age of iron jewelry thus began in the years of the Napoleonic occupation of Prussia. This new demand for iron jewelry led to the founding of the Berlin iron foundry, which was headed by the goldsmith Conrad Geiss, who had numerous classicist designs executed. The Berlin iron jewelry, the "Fer de Berlin", with its clear contours and restrained, dark color, corresponded to the spirit of classicism. It provided an alternative to the lavish diamond pomp of the 18th century, expressing bourgeois virtues such as modesty, restraint and education. However, it was not only in Berlin that iron jewelry was produced during these years; pieces of jewelry were also made from this material in Silesia, in neutral Switzerland and later even in France: Blackened iron had become fashionable and socially acceptable. Finally, in 1851, pieces of jewelry made from Fer de Berlin were also exhibited and awarded prizes at the Great Exhibition in London. Cf. Elisabeth Schmuttermeier: Jewelry made of iron, in: Berliner Eisen. The Royal Iron Foundry Berlin. Zur Geschichte eines preussischen Unternehmens, ed. by Charlotte Schreiter / Albrecht Pyritz, Berlin 2007, pp. 227-240, as well as the corresponding chapters in Brigitte Marquardt: Schmuck. Klassizismus und Biedermeier 1780-1850. Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Munich 1983.

Learn more

Size & Details

Winckelmann's favorite

€ 1,490.00 ^*

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.

Learn more

Winckelmann's favorite

Rings

Privacy settings