Antique Brooch With Shell cameo of a Bacchante in Gold, Circa 1905

"Be intoxicated, for one must always be drunk, whether with wine, poetry or virtue." These are Baudelaire's famous words, published posthumously in 1869 in the poetry collection Le Spleen de Paris. They were to serve as a motto for entire generations of writers and artists. This piece of jewellery pays homage to pleasure as Baudelaire envisioned it: it depicts a bacchante or maenad, a follower of the god of wine Bacchus or Dionysus. She can be recognized by the vine leaves in her hair. The name maenad is derived from mania, the frenzy, as the god's followers celebrated wild feasts and orgies. Bacchus was therefore also regarded as the god of intoxication. The Bacchante turns her face to the right. Her robe, an ancient peblos, and her rich hair are detailed and expertly crafted. The clear separation between the tinted white of the portrait and the soft, darker background of the shell is also particularly beautiful here. Dating jewellery with cameos is never easy. In this case, the gold framing helps, turning the cameo into a brooch. The original pin and the original safety clasp are typical of the period shortly after 1900, and we therefore date the brooch to this period. Worn, the brooch not only celebrates the joy of wine, but also - despite its subversive motif - demonstrates an interest in the culture of antiquity.

Estimate:£832.44

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