Large vintage pendant with 19th century intaglio in carnelian in gold-plated

Hercules, the great hero and demigod of antiquity famous for his strength, had to master twelve actually impossible tasks in order to atone for the death of his wife. He defeated the Nemean lion, whose fur he wore as a cloak from then on, killed the Lernaean hydra and fought many other mythical animals. For the ancients, these deeds restored his honor and testified to his exemplary, virtuous character. This pendant shows Hercules in battle with the serpent Ladon, who is guarding the apple tree of the Hesperides. Hercules is standing on the right. The lion's skin is waving behind him and he is soon striking the serpent's head with his club. He has grasped the trunk of the tree; the detailed cut of the intaglio even shows some of the immortality-promising apples on the tree. The scene is rendered with great attention to detail. Every subtlety of the hero's anatomy can be seen; under a magnifying glass, even more details are revealed with every glance. The expert execution and elegant design suggest that this is a work from the 19th century. The wide gilded silver frame was added later. It is designed in the archaeological style that was fashionable around 1870. However, the gilded silver finish and the modern hallmark show that it was created later. We think that it was created in the years around 1980 in order to recast the antique cameo. We discovered the pendant in the West of Germany.

Estimate:$1,000.84

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