Daphnis & Chloe

Bucolic shell cameo set in gold as a brooch, circa 1875

€ 980.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Bucolic shell cameo set in gold as a brooch, circa 1875

Description

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

The bucolic is a subject of art in which the life of shepherds is idealized. Sung about by poets and depicted by artists since antiquity, the enthusiasm for the subject has run through time and art history. Famous artists from Poussin to Watteau were inspired by the free and supposedly carefree life of shepherds. A new enthusiasm for bucolic motifs took place graduated with the industrial revolution. At a time when traditional ways of life were being lost, it once again celebrated country life in a romantic manner, the carefree happiness in the open air, unconcerned and without the obligations of office, office or factory. Just as in the late 18th century under Marie Antoinette, a longing for the countryside cast its spell here, which in the backward-looking glorification of the countryside could also develop a utopia for the future in order to live more freely and at the same time in closer coexistence. This shell cameo also dates from the last quarter of the 19th century. A scene from one of the most famous bucolic poems of antiquity is depicted in fine detail. It is Daphnis and Chloe from the eponymous love story by the Greek poet Longos from the 2nd century. It is the story of two foundlings who spend their childhood orphaned by shepherds on the island of Lesbos, are then separated from each other, find each other again, fall in love and finally live happily ever after with their parents. Our cameo from around 1875 shows the story's happy ending in fine detail: Daphnis and Chloe are camped under a tree with their shepherd's crooks, tending a flock of sheep. Carefree and carefree, they lead a life together of which Longos writes: "And not only then, but as long as they lived, they led a shepherd's life, worshipped the gods, the nymphs, Pan, Eros, raised large flocks of sheep and goats and knew no sweeter food than fruit and milk." A beautiful setting of high-carat gold with embossed triangular ornaments reminiscent of lotus blossoms holds the cameo and makes it wearable as a brooch. This piece of jewellery, which came to us from the Rhineland, is beautifully preserved and impresses with its fine workmanship. The illustration shows an 18th century painting by Francois Boucher with a similar treatment of the motif, now in the Wallace Collection in London.

Size & Details

Daphnis & Chloe

€ 980.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

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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.

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