Venus And Cupid

Victorian, Gold Set Shell Cameo Brooch, England ca. 1860

€ 590.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Victorian, Gold Set Shell Cameo Brooch, England ca. 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 unusual cameo shows an exciting motif that has its origins in the world of Greek mythology. In powerful cut the shell is used to present an episode from the life of Venus and Cupid. Many a great fortune, but also many a misfortune, is owed to these two personalities of the classical mythological world. The goddess of love Venus, responsible for the flourishing of love on earth, had a little helper: the god of love Cupid. Cupid shoots arrows at people with a small bow - and he usually does this blindfolded, so his love arrows can also strike unplanned, accidentally and by mistake. His quiver holds projectiles with different kinds of tips for this purpose. One half of the arrowheads is made of gold, the other half is made of lead. Hit by a golden arrow, people ignite in the fire of love, penetrated by an arrow made of lead, they remain indifferent and unimpressed by the charms of another person. On our shell cameo we see the naked winged boy striding towards Venus with outstretched arms. The goddess of love sits on a rock and looks expectantly. Joyfully excited the little messenger of love seems and also the goddess seems to be confident! What are they up to? Is the goddess of love receiving a new mission? Whether here Venus gives the order to shoot an arrow, we do not know - but we hope of course for a projectile of gold. The cameo was probably cut in Italy in the years around 1860 and then given a plain red gold setting. The hallmarking reveals that it it was made in English.

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For centuries, possessing antique cameos was the claim of almost all great collections and chambers of curiosities, from the Green Vault in Dresden to the treasury of Rudolf II to large private collections such as that of Baron von Stosch in later times. The 18th and 19th centuries produced numerous large imprint collections of antique sealstones and cameos, which sought to represent the ancient imagery of glyptic in its entirety, they were also an expression of a humanistic education. Of particular importance for the transmission of stone and shell carvings north of the Alps have always been travelers to Italy, who brought home impressions and carved stones as well as engraved shells from their educational journeys in order to enjoy the stories that the shells could tell. The art of cameo cutter has survived to this day in Italy, especially in the Bay of Naples, where it has been passed down from generation to generation. Today the Scuola dei Cammei in Torre del Greco is the only large-scale training center for cameo cutters in the world, but unfortunately the mythological theme world as a subject has been almost completely lost.

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Size & Details

Venus And Cupid

€ 590.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

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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Venus And Cupid

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