The MOMA in New York has a comparative piece!

Lagestone cameo of the years around 1800 with mythological Gryllos head

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 engraved storage stone from the years around 1800 shows itself in a simple red gold setting - and its motif both amazes and takes the breath away of collectors or lovers of antique gems and cameos. It is an extremely rare representation of the "Gryllos", a four-headed legendary figure from Greek mythology, as reported by Plutarch. With each quarter turn of the ring, a different face, a different head becomes visible. On the one hand we see a bearded man with a horn, on the other a young figure, then an older person with a beard and a ram's head with horns. The stone cutter who set the cameo in a layered agate in the years around 1800 uses the multicolour of the gemstone to contrast the four heads of the gryllo against the darker ground of the stone. Cameos with such depictions are found in only a few collections. The MoMa in New York has a ring with a "Gryllos head" comparable to ours, see -> here . For lovers of cut stones with motifs of mythological nature, this ring offers a unique opportunity to enrich one's collection with a museum-quality and fantastic piece.

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For centuries, the possession of cameos and gems was the claim of almost all great collections of decorative arts and chambers of curiosities, from the Green Vault in Dresden and 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 seal stones and gems, which were able to represent the antique imagery of glyptic almost in its entirety, as they were also an expression of a humanistic education. However, the art of gem-cutting has survived to this day in Italy, especially in the Bay of Naples, where it has been handed down from generation to generation. Today the Scuola dei Cammei in Torre del Greco is the only large-scale training centre for gem-cutters in Italy. Of particular importance for the transmission of stone and shell carving north of the Alps have always been travellers to Italy, who brought home impressions and cut stones as well as engraved shells from their educational journeys to enjoy.

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Size & Details

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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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The MOMA in New York has a comparative piece!

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