Love Songs I Sing To You

Venus And Cupid On Gold Set Shell Cameo, Italy/England Circa 1890

€ 498.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Venus And Cupid On Gold Set Shell Cameo, Italy/England Circa 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 unusual cameo features a witty motif that has its origins in the world of Greek mythology. In very nice, powerful cut, the shell of a mollusc is used to present a theme of antiquity, varied again and again: A scene from the life of Venus and Cupid. Many a great fortune, but also many a misfortune, is owed to this couple of the classical mythological world. The goddess of love Venus, born from a shell and responsible for the flourishing of love on earth, has 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 arrows can also strike unplanned, accidentally and by mistake! His quiver holds arrows with different kinds of tips - half of the arrowheads are made of gold, the other half are made of lead. Hit by a golden arrow, people inflame in the fire of love, penetrated by a lead arrow, you remain indifferent and unimpressed by the charms of another person. On our shell cameo we see the naked winged boy with outstretched arms. Next to him and far taller than the little love helper, we see the airily dressed Venus playing the lyre. Presumably she teaches the boy love songs. The brooch is simply set in 9-karat rose gold, the setting having been made in England, while the cameo was probably made in Italy. Because of the motif, this decorative piece is almost a must for any collection of mythological cameos and cameos. It found its way to us from a Berlin collection.

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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

Love Songs I Sing To You

€ 498.00 ^*

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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Love Songs I Sing To You

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