Rarest Museum Quality Shell Cameo of the Goddess Diana ca. 1850

Jewelry : Antique : Fine : Victorian : Carved, Cameo

 

Welcome to everyone! As always I'm pleased to offer you another rarest and stunning cameo. This one is a simply incredible Museum Quality cameo depicting Goddess Diana in full body, rarest subject and never seen before. The carving is more than superb. Finding a museum quality cameo of Goddess Diana is rare because even if Diana was a very popular subject in the Victorian era, the most of times cameo depicting her were very poorly carved. I have seen a lot of cameos depicting Goddess Diana but a very few of them deserved to be classified as Museum Quality cameos. This one is ones of the very few. Again finding a Goddess Diana carved in full body is almost impossible and I repeat that in many years of cameos trade I have never seen a such subject. Everything is perfectly carved and so realistic. Her main attribute, the bow, is shown. Between her side and her left arm there is an object that could be a sort of quiver to put her arrows in, or it could be a leather bottle, I can't be sure. You can see close her right leg a Greek shield and under it you can see the top of an axe. Close the other foot there is an helmet. Behind her there is a landscape and you can see even a monument that is the Coliseum. The facial features are not so delicate but perfectly done. This is a real work of art, simply amazing. Look at the grace of her face, what a work of art. The frame is another work of art, gold leaves and seed pearls, finely worked and engraved, completes the beauty of this cameo. The pictures really don't give any justice to this stunning piece, but I can assure you all that this is a piece that can take your breath away. This is another masterly carved cameo. A very desirable collectors piece, rare and museum quality cameo.

Material: Sardonyx Shell, 9 and 15K gold tested, seed pearls.

Size: 2 6/8" by just under 2 1/2" cameo only is 2 3/8" by 1 7/8".

Date and Origin: Circa 1840/1850 Italy, frame could be English.

Conditions: More than excellent, a couple of hairlines noticeable when the cameo is held up to light, gold is a bit tarnished on some points.

A bit of History:

In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and also of the moon In literature she was the equivalent of the Greek goddess Artemis, the Hellenic goddess of forests, hills, virginity/fertility, and the hunt and was often depicted as a huntress carrying a bow and arrows. Diana was worshipped in ancient Roman religion Along with her main attributes, Diana was an emblem of chastity Oak groves were especially sacred to her. According to mythology, Diana was born with her twin brother Apollo on the island of Delos, daughter of Jupiter and Latona. Diana made up a trinity with two other Roman deities: Egeria the water nymph, her servant and assistant midwife; and Virbius, the woodland god.

Item ID: 98