REDUCED Museum Quality Cameo Suite of Hera and Goddesses, Brooch and Earrings, with pearls.

Jewelry : Antique : Fine : Victorian : Carved, Cameo

 

Museum quality cameo brooch depicting Hera the Queen of Gods. While the brooch is of museum quality, the earrings are excellent quality, depicting Goddess Flora and Psyche. The cameo is brooch and pendant, the pin has been added at a later time as the clips on the earrings. There is a little natural seed pearls dangling on the bottom of both earrings, I'm sorry it can't be seen well in the pictures. The frame is spectacular too, 14 k gold and seed pearls. There was a seed pearl missed on one earring, it as been replaced and the replacement can't be noticed, please look at the pictures showing the earring with no pearl and the one showing the same earring with the replaced pearl. This is a wonderful work of art, very detailed cameo, carved by an artist. Rarest cameo and subject very desirable collectors' piece. Material : Sardonyx Shell, seed pearls, 14 k gold tested on the brooch, marked on the earrings. Size: Brooch 2 " by just over 5/8" - Earrings 1" by just over 6/8" Date and Origin: Circa 1870 Italy, frame is English. Conditions: A cultured seed pearl missed on one of earrings, trace of soldering on the back of brooch, a tiniest scratch on one of the earring, not noticeable by naked eyes, mentioned for accuracy, otherwise mint.

A bit of History:

In Greek mythology Era or Hera (Juno for the Romans) was the wife of Zeus, and so the Queen of Gods. Faithful and jealous wife. She was the Goddess of the wedding and protector of the married women and of the birth and her constant fight against the infidelity of Zeus gave origin to the recurring theme of the "Hera's jealousy". Hera gave birth to Ares (God of War), Hephaestus (God of Fire), Hebe (Goddess of Youth) and Eileithyia (Goddess of the birth). Hera, jealous wife, often persecuted lovers and sons of Zeus. She never forgot an offense and was well known per her revengeful nature. Being angry with the Trojan prince Paris who preferred Aphrodite (Venus), Goddess of Love, to her, in a beauty contest, Hera helped the Greeks in the War of Troy and was satisfied only when the city was finally destroyed. The corresponding figure in Roman mythology was Juno. Her sacred symbols were the cow and the peacock. Hera was portrayed as a solemn and majestic figure, often sat on a throne while wears as crown the "Polos", a typical head gear of a cylindrical shape worn by the most important Mother Goddesses of several antique cultures. She held a pomegranate in her hand, symbol of fertility and death. The temples dedicated to her date back to 7th century B.C. and they were the earliest historical examples of Monumental Greek Temples, the "Heraion" in the island of Samo and the "Heraion" of Argo.

Item ID: 16