Kissed by the Muse

Unusual antique shell gem set as a brooch, c. 1880

€ 590.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Unit price €590.00 / piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Unusual antique shell gem set as a brooch, c. 1880

Description

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

A shell cameo in a picturesque cut is set in Pinchbeck to be worn as a brooch. The probably French work from around 1880 shows an unusual scene: Like on a theatre stage, a large curtain provides a glimpse into the studio of a painter. The small relief atmospherically transports us to the era of the so-called ‘Golden Age’, in which the arts flourished in the Netherlands and prosperity became wealth. A large easel shows a painting in progress, and we see the artist seated on a stool in front of it, with a beret on his head and large boots on his feet, as they were worn in the 17th century. He is holding a brush and palette in his left hand and another brush in his right. A woman with her hair pinned back stands behind the painter, one hand on his shoulder, pointing to a detail of the painting with the other, as if giving him instructions. Is she his muse or the real mastermind behind his work? The cameo was created around 1880, at the end of the 19th century. This beautiful and rare piece came to us from an important Berlin collection.

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A rather forgotten chapter in jewellery history today are the many substitute materials used over the centuries to replace the expensive precious metals gold and silver. The names of these inventions are legion, perhaps you have heard of tombac or alpacca, nickel silver or even argentan? In the 19th century, gold was often replaced by brass, i.e. alloys of copper and zinc. The London watchmaker Christopher Pinchbeck (approx. 1670 - 18 November 1732) invented a special alloy named after him, the colour of which was particularly close to gold and became particularly popular from then on, especially in England. On Christopher Pinchbek, see Ginny Reddington Dawes / Olivia Collings: Georgian Jewellery 1714-1830, Woodbridge 2007, p. 80, pp. 39 seq.

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Size & Details

Kissed by the Muse

€ 590.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Unit price €590.00 / piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Our Promise

We want you to be 100% satisfied! For that reason, we examine, describe and photograph all of our jewellery with the utmost care.

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.

Should you for some reason not be satisfied, please don’t hesitate to contact us so that we can find a solution together. In any case, you can return any article within one month and we will refund the full purchase price.

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Kissed by the Muse

Brooches & Pins

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