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High Relief Shell Cameo of the Warrior and His Bride Material and Date of the Cameo: The cameo, made of shell, was carved ca 1800 - 1810. Material and Date of the Frame: The frame is later than the cameo, dating to ca 1890 - 1900. It is made of chased silver with a design of swirls and flowers. Uniquely, on the back of the frame are two silver tines forming an easel so that the piece will stand as a bibelot on a desk or table. The pretty flowered bezel is a suitable frame to wear as jewellery and the easel tines can easily be replaced with a clasp and/or pendant bale if a buyer wishes to wear the piece. Origin: Both the cameo and the frame were made in France. Size: 1 7/8 by 1 5/8 inches Condition: Mint. There are no chips, cracks or other damage to the surface of the cameo and no wearing of the high points of the carving. The frame is undented. Description: This high-relief shell cameo, a double profile of a young man and woman, is a Neoclassical allegory of the Warrior and His Bride. Carved in France during the era of the Napoleonic wars, it would probably have been given as a love-token by a soldier to his wife or sweetheart before he left to fight in one of his Emperor's campaigns. It was the vogue for soldiers of la Grande Armée to be depicted in classical garb; Napoleon himself inspired this fashion by having himself portrayed in paintings and statues as a Roman general. Here the young soldier is dressed in classical armour. His helmet, called a bascinet, has an aventail (neck guard) at the back and is topped by a splendid horsehair brush. The visor, embellished with laurel leaves, is beautifully carved: note the adroit manner in which the artisan has incorporated the top layer of shell to lend colour to this detail. The young warrior wears a square necked breastplate with a leather fringe pauldron (shoulder guard.) A cloak is gathered on his on his left shoulder , held in place with a circular fibula (clasp.) He holds a spear and his shield is observed behind him. |
| The young woman wears a softly-draped garment. Her wavy hair is kept in place with a bandeau, although a topknot of wispy curls has been artfully allowed to escape. The coiffure, a popular fashion in First Empire France, dates the cameo to the first decade of the 19th century. The faces of the young couple are serene and classically beautiful. An aura of tenderness surrounds them as they look confidently into the future. In the foreground turtledoves, the emblem of fidelity, bill and coo. The torsos of the figures dissolve into a stylized bank of clouds, the clouds signifying that these young lovers will soon be parted. One easily imagines the young wife to whom this cameo was given almost 200 years ago gazing at it, longing for her faraway husband. Although the Roman elements of the design place the cameo in the Neoclassical style, its sweetness and sentimentality presage the later Romantic movement. This is a desirable cameo with a lovely design. It is exquisitely carved and finished. It would sell at retail for $1,200.00. |