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Venus and Adone
Material: Shell and 18k gold.
Date: ca 1850. The frame is probably recent.
Origin: Italy
Size:
Cameo only: 2 1/16 x 1/ 1/2 inches (52 x 38 mm)
With frame: 2 5/16 x 1 3/4 (60 x 45 mm) pendant bale excluded.
Condition: 10/10 Mint
The surpassing beauty of this cameo doesn't needs many words! Masterly carved in high relief, it depicts the goddess of love and beauty Venus (Aphrodite) and Adonis. The cameo shows many details: three Cupids, a large mirror, the sheer dress of Venus, the hunter's costume of Adonis etc.
The scene takes place in a temple. Cameos lovers knows the temple, above all, proves the most high virtuosity of this carver. Please check the 3/4 different tonalities of columns, achieved thanks to the transparence of the shell. This trick exatls the perspective of the overall scene. So, this is not a "black and white" cameo, but a rare cameo showing "grays" nuances and shades. |
