Antique Shell Cameo of Psyche Mounted as a Gold Brooch, c. 1880

This cameo depicts a figure from classical Greek mythology: depicted in profile is the princess Psyche, whose great beauty aroused the envy of Venus. When her son, Cupid, the messenger of love, fell in love with the mortal, Venus assigned the unfortunate woman several dangerous tasks. But contrary to all expectations, Psyche mastered the trials with the help of her lover, who disobeyed his mother's orders. In the end, the supreme god Jupiter took pity on the couple. He gave Psyche a cup of ambrosia and made her immortal, so that she was admitted to Olympus. We recognise Psyche here by her attribute, the butterfly wings in her hair. Her gaze is chastely cast downwards and she is wearing an antique-style robe. The white of the depiction stands out beautifully and clearly against the dark background. A chain-shaped frame made of gold frames the round work and turns it into a brooch. The cameo and frame were created around 1880. This cameo probably also followed the classic path of a shell cameo: Created in the Bay of Naples, it was brought to the north as a souvenir from a trip to Italy and set here. The piece of jewellery is beautifully preserved and came to us from Lauenburg.

Estimate:£338.07

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