Born from the Head of Zeus

Antique Shell Cameo Pendant of Pallas Athena, c. 1890


€ 398.00 *
Content 1 piece
Incl. VAT, Shipping
Antique Shell Cameo Pendant of Pallas Athena, c. 1890
Antique Shell Cameo Pendant of Pallas Athena, c. 1890
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 antique pendant shows the image of Pallas Athena carved in a shell. Even the birth of the ancient goddess was adventurous: Zeus, the father of the gods, had devoured the Okeanid Metis, who was pregnant with two children, as he had been prophesied that her daughter would be equal to Zeus, but that a son would overthrow him. When he suffered from a severe headache after the sacrilegious act, he asked the god Hephaestus to crush his head. Not only did he survive this dubious procedure, but the goddess Athena emerged from his head in full armor. As she was born from the head of Zeus, Athena was regarded as the manifestation of the spirit and therefore as the goddess of wisdom and intelligence. She was also regarded as the goddess of strategy and war, crafts and art, as well as the patron goddess of the city of Athens, which was named after her. Our cameo shows the famous goddess as a bust portrait. She is depicted in profile in a detailed cut. Her flowing hair is concealed under a typical Greek helmet, which is adorned with a mask and a helmet comb made of horsehair, the so-called lophos. The pendant holds the cameo in an engraved setting made of gold-plated silver. A gold-doublé cord chain accompanies the pendant. The pendant, created around 1890, is in very good condition and is a beautiful collector's item that comes in an antique case from the jeweler Victor Chièfry from Tournai.
Read more
Size & Details
Antique Shell Cameo Pendant of Pallas Athena, c. 1890
Born from the Head of Zeus
€ 398.00 *
Content 1 piece
Incl. VAT, Shipping
Our Promise
Our Promise
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