The Nymph Galatea

Fine Antique Shell Cameo in Gold, c. 1860


€ 790.00 *
Content 1 piece
Incl. VAT, Shipping
Fine Antique Shell Cameo in Gold, c. 1860
Fine Antique Shell Cameo in Gold, c. 1860
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 brooch shows a rare depiction. In a detailed cut, the cameo shows the youthful goddess Galatea gliding across the sea on a shell. A delicate robe wraps around her figure, which stands out in white against the dark background. At her feet, we see a dolphin that appears to be pulling the seashell. The story of Galatea is about love and jealousy. The Cyclops Polyphemus persistently wooed the love of the beautiful nymph. But when the daughter of the sea god Nereus fell in love with the young shepherd Akis, the jealous Polyphemus crushed the young man with a rock. Galatea turned Akis into a river in death. Galatea, the daughter of the sea god, was repeatedly depicted in the Renaissance on a shell chariot above the waves of the sea. Raphael's fresco with the Triumph of Galathea is famous. Less well known, however, is a depiction by Pierin del Vaga (1501-1547) in the collection of the Galleria Doria-Pamphilj in Rome. It was also the model for the present cameo. Probably cut in the Bay of Naples around 1860, the cameo is set in a curved yellow gold setting. Floral, hand-crafted engravings adorn the edge and reveal the formal language of the mid-19th century.
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The legendary world of antiquity was still omnipresent for contemporaries in the late 19th century. Just as the languages of flowers and precious stones were used to express the wishes, feelings and character traits of the giver and recipient in an evocative way, so too were the mythological figures - readable by any educated citizen, yet wrapped in just enough allegory to satisfy the strict rules and moral sensibilities of the time.
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Size & Details
Fine Antique Shell Cameo in Gold, c. 1860
The Nymph Galatea
€ 790.00 *
Content 1 piece
Incl. VAT, Shipping
Our Promise
Our Promise
Our Promise

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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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