Antique 19th 9k Gold brooch Victorian carved shell cameo Neptune & wife Salacia
Beautiful ORIGINAL 9K gold and good sized rare mid-Victorian era carved shell cameo depicting. The sculpture depicts Salacia (Neptune's wife in Greek mythology) secure in a decadent carriage, above a turbulent sea. Salacia is protected by her husband Neptune-god of the sea-carrying a trident, from below. And she is draped by the protection of a cherub-a second order of angel whose distinctive gift is knowledge-from above. Brooch measures 1.5" wide by 1.75" in height. This is a rare cameo subject Neptune and his wife Salacia and notice the ornate carving and details on this brooch! S is the god of freshwater and the sea[2] in Roman religion. He is the counterpart of the Greek god Poseidon. [3] In the Greek-influenced tradition, Neptune is the brother of Jupiter and Pluto; the brothers preside over the realms of Heaven, the earthly world, and the Underworld.
[4] Salacia is his wife. Depictions of Neptune in Roman mosaics, especially those of North Africa, are influenced by Hellenistic conventions.
[5] Neptune was likely associated with fresh water springs before the sea. [6] Like Poseidon, Neptune was worshipped by the Romans also as a god of horses, under the name Neptunus Equester, a patron of horse-racing. Cameos, valued since antiquity as engraved gems, were exceedingly popular during the Georgian and Victorian periods.
Many different materials were used for carving cameos. Shell was a popular medium for use in cameo carving because it was light in weight and therefore didn't limit the size of the piece. Tropical helmet shell was extensively used for its good color contrast and depth of layers. The Cassus rufus variety was white and pink, the Cassus madagascariensis had white and brown layers. The depth of the white layer in the helmut shell was sufficient to allow very high relief with lots of detail.
Cameos during and before the Victorian era displayed allegorical, mythological, historical or religious images. Gods and goddesses, rulers, historic scenes, biblical scenes, Roman soldiers and beautiful women were subjects for cameos, which were worn by men and women. Cameos were considered "smart" jewelry because of the intellectual nature of the subject being carved.
Tourists on "Grand Tour" holiday, viewing the full sized artworks, were delighted to take home a wearable miniature version as a remembrance. Always pack very carefully in new box!