The sky over Naples

Antique Parure From Italian Shell Comeo In Gold, Around 1820 And 1880

€ 7,590.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Antique Parure From Italian Shell Comeo In Gold, Around 1820 And 1880

Description

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

Naples! The destination of every great trip to Italy in the 19th century still overwhelms today with its location on the Gold, the spectacular view of Mount Vesuvius, the gentle climate, its rugged yet enchanting cityscape and - last but not least - its rich, immortal art treasures of antiquity. No wonder, then, that souvenirs of this trip were not to be missed: a local art industry was born, producing especially cameos of the best quality from corals, shells and coloured local stone varieties, which were sold as "lava" of the volcano. Here now is a large parure that gathers jewellery in gold with cameos from Naples. The set in its elegant case consists of a necklace with eight shell cameos depicting goddesses and gods of antiquity. We can find other inhabitants of Olympus on the earrings and the bracelet. The most spectacular cameo, however, is on the brooch. We see here in the very finest cut the portrait of a beautiful lady with a rich hairstyle, a pearl necklace and earrings in the shape of a trident. It is Parthenope, one of the sirens who bewitched Odysseus and who was revered as the city goddess of Naples! Already in ancient times, the coins of the city of Naples bore the image of Parthenope. The comparison with such a silver coin, from the possession of the Coin Cabinet of the Berlin Museums (Inv. No. 18214794), shows how clearly the unknown gem carver worked here after such a model: Especially the fine design of the goddess's jewelry is of course particularly attractive on a piece of jewellery! The necklace of the parure is probably older than the other parts: The workmanship of the goldsmith's work allows us to date the necklace to the years around 1820, but the other pieces of jewellery to the years around 1880: It seems that two generations from one family gathered the parure here in the course of the 19th century. The parure has reached us in this form: and immediately carried away in thoughts of the city at the foot of Vesuvius.

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In the second half of the 19th century, traveling to Italy was no longer just the privilege of a few aristocrats. The experience of seeing and experiencing the ruins of antiquity for themselves had inspired men and women throughout Europe since the late Middle Ages. But for a long time, only a few were allowed to travel, and even fewer could afford it. Even in Goethe's time, a stay in the warm south was a privilege and, as an educational trip, was intended to serve higher purposes alone. In the course of the 19th century, democratization set in. More and more citizens traveled to Italy, to Rome and Naples, and in addition to the goal of experiencing the monuments of antiquity and marveling at the works of art of the Renaissance, the pleasure was also added. The first "grand hotels" served the pleasant stay by the sea and in the city. The fashions of Europe mixed and became international. It was not only Thomas Mann who, with his "Death in Venice", created a monument to the summer resort society of this period.

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Size & Details

The sky over Naples

€ 7,590.00 ^*

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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The sky over Naples

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