One Must Celebrate When One Has the Chance

Large Antique Shell Cameo in Gold Setting, Italy ca. 1860

€ 890.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Unit price €890.00 / piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Large Antique Shell Cameo in Gold Setting, Italy 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!

In the years around 1860, the present, large cameo of cut shell in its setting of gold was made. It depicts a figure of Greek mythology. From the vine leaves and grapes in her magnificent hair, the Thyrsos stick and the leopard fur thrown around her shoulders, we recognize that this is a representation of Ariadne, the wife of the Greek god of wine, Dionysus. The image of Dionysus and his entourage, who was famous and infamous for his raucous feasts, is strongly influenced in Western art history by the form that the cult, which was Greek in origin, took among the Romans. The "Bacchanalia" developed at the beginning of the 2nd century BC into excessive revelries accompanied by dances and orgies, which often took place in secret. In later centuries, devotees of the god of wine and his wife Ariadne became synonymous with celebrating fun-loving people, but especially with lovers of good wine. The cameo was cut from the shell of the carnelian shell (Cypraeacassis Rufa) probably in the Bay of Naples. The gold setting was probably created in England in the following years - a procedure often observed in the 19th century. Thus, this shell cameo, unusually detailed and beautifully cut, is particularly suitable to be a gift for a lady or gentleman who is not averse to the pleasures of life.

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To possess antique cameos was the claim of almost all great collections for centuries: We find spectacular pieces as well in the Green Vault in Dresden, in the treasury of Rudolf II, up to the great private collections like that of Baron Stosch in later times. The 18th and 19th centuries produced numerous large imprint collections of antique seal stones and cameos, which represent the antique imagery of glyptic almost in its entirety. Thus, they were not least an expression of a humanistic education. Of particular importance for the transmission of stone and shell carvings north of the Alps have always been travellers to Italy, who brought home imprints and carved stones as well as engraved shells from their educational journeys 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 professional 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

One Must Celebrate When One Has the Chance

€ 890.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Unit price €890.00 / 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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One Must Celebrate When One Has the Chance

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