Unusual Gold Brooch with Cameo and Braided Hair, c. 1850

Towards the end of the 18th century and well into the 19th century, people cultivated a true cult of friendship and love. Wonderful friendship albums were created, called liber amicorum - with artistic ink drawings and verses. Silhouettes were exchanged to remember the silhouette of a beloved face, and many pieces of jewellery also had a sentimental meaning. Locks of hair set under glass or rock crystal not only reminded people of the deceased, but also of dear friends who had been separated, the loved one - and not least of their own family members. This brooch is one such sentimental piece of jewellery from the middle years of the 19th century. At first glance, it appears to be typical gemstone jewelry from this period and features a finely cut cameo made of shell in the middle. It depicts a Bacchante, a devotee of the wine god Bacchuch, recognizable by the lavish jewellery of vines and grapes in her hair. An elaborate gold frame in the style of naturalism surrounds the oval cameo. Intertwined tendrils and vine leaves continue the motif of the cameo. However, it is only on the back that the true significance of the piece of jewellery becomes apparent. A glazed compartment provides a view of an elaborate braid of blond and brown hair that obviously belonged to two different people - perhaps siblings or best friends. Perhaps, according to the cameo on the front, it is a memento of people with whom one enjoyed drinking a glass or two in convivial company? The brooch is a beautiful relic from the now distant world of the late Biedermeier period.

Estimate:$1,338.2

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