Romantic Gold Necklace with Hardstone Cameos, ca. 1820 & Later

During the Classical period, antiquity was not a distant historical era. Its forms shaped architecture and interior design, fashion, and—not least—jewellery. Carved gems and cameos were wearable testaments to the classical world, bringing antiquity into the present. Their motifs were drawn from ancient originals, casts of ancient cameos made from hardstone, and engravings, and arranged into new sequences of images in precious necklaces, brooches, and rings. The Neoclassical necklace presented here combines five exceptionally finely cut cameos made from hardstone. The gem cutter utilized the material’s multicolored layers with great precision: the light-colored figures stand out in relief against the delicate blue-gray background and appear almost like tiny marble reliefs. Each cameo is set in an oval gold mount and surrounded by a narrow ornamental frieze. Double, flexibly crafted bands of finely interwoven gold wire connect the individual lockets, allowing the necklace to drape softly in a gentle arc around the neck. The common theme of the five depictions is love, embodied by the winged Cupid. In one scene, the youthful god draws his bow and prepares to shoot one of his famous arrows. In another scene, he carefully examines the tip of the arrow: a charming allusion to the fact that love not only brings joy but also inflicts wounds. Another cameo depicts Cupid with a lowered torch. The motif can be interpreted as an image of a fading passion, yet it also carries a darker meaning—one already familiar in antiquity—and evokes the close connection between love, sleep, and transience. The largest cameo is set at the center of the necklace. Here we see a female figure lost in thought beside a burning bowl on an altar. Whether she represents Psyche, Cupid’s companion, or more generally a personification of longing anticipation is deliberately left open. While Cupid is actively engaged in action, aiming, and testing on the other cameos, she pauses in contemplation. The flame burning beside her can be interpreted as a symbol of a love that is still awaited—or that has long since been kindled in secret. The cameos do not form a clearly defined narrative but rather shed light on the various states of love: from anticipation to passion, through the sweet wounding by Cupid’s arrow, and on to the danger of its extinction. It is precisely this combination of playful wit and quiet melancholy that corresponds to the classical aesthetic. The necklace was created by combining elements from two different pieces of jewellery, as evidenced by the varying settings of the cameos. The elaborate, wider settings—with their mirror-polished surfaces and finely chased frames—reflect the design language of the early 19th century; they are believed to have been created around 1820. The two narrower frames were created at the same time or only slightly later. Because the cameos are set so close together, their combination appears harmonious and beautiful. The necklace came to us from southern Germany.

Estimate:$5,579.89

View all items fromHofer AntikschmuckorJewelry & Gems