Pendant With Art Nouveau Cameo in Setting of Gold & Pearls, Around

The years around 1900 witnessed an increased interest in human psychology. The subliminal, the repressed and the sensual were of the greatest interest in a society shaped by strict corsets of rules - a discourse that took place not only in early psychoanalysis but also in the arts. Satyrs and nymphs - nature spirits that were not subject to the same etiquette as modern man and could openly indulge in their desires - became the visual expression of man's subconscious, even animalistic urges. Last but not least, these beings were also known from antiquity as participants in the Dionysia or Bacchanalia, the orgiastic processions of the god of wine and intoxication. The present pendant pays homage in this thematic complex. In its center, it presents a cameo made of cut shell. Here we see a nymph accompanied by a winged putto or Eros. Only lightly clothed, she has settled on a stone while a satyr watches her from behind a tree. Already in ancient times such representations were found, which told more or less ciphered erotic stories. Our cameo was probably carved at the Bay of Naples in the years before the turn of the last century. In keeping with the taste of the time, the depiction with its flowing lines is influenced by Art Nouveau. In the middle years of the 20th century, the antique cameo was given an elaborate setting of yellow gold and pearls. The goldsmith who executed the work knew how to take up the already historical character of the cameo with the delicate bars and curves and create a coherent overall impression.

Estimate:$1,450.66

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