• Material: Sardonyx Shell.
• Size: 2 1/8" by 1 6/8".
• Date and Origin: Circa 1840 Italy.
• Conditions: More than excellent, there is a hairline who runs straight from the top of one of the Cupid's wings.  It can be lightly seen from the front and well seen only if the cameo is held to the light.

Museum Quality  cameo depicting  Cupid with Roses and Thistles after a sculpture of Thorvaldsen made in 1837. Compare the cameo with the plaster of the sculpture, shown below,  they are identical. The carver was able to transfer the sculpture on a cameo making it perfectly. A rarest subject, never seen before. Another collector highest quality cameo. The delicacy with which this cameo is carved amazing even considering that the shell is so thin. This one is just transparent and working on a so thin shell is not easy at all. That's incredible how this cameos has remained intact for almost 170 years! It is evident that it has been taken care of and probably the cameo was only a display piece  This is a cameo of surpassing beauty, carved by an artist. Every details is perfectly rendered making this cameo a real work of art. This is another masterly carved cameo. A very desirable collectors piece, rare and museum quality cameo.

A bit of History:

Eros  in Greek mythology, was the primordial god of sexual love and beauty. He was also worshipped as a fertility deity. His Roman counterpart was Cupid ("desire"), also known as Amor ("love"). In some myths, he was the son of the deities Aphrodite (Venus) and Ares (Mars).  He was the one lighted the flame of love in the hearts of the gods and men, armed either with a bow and arrows or else a flaming torch. He was also the object of cult. Eros was often portrayed as a child, the disobedient, but fiercely loyal, son of Aphrodite.In ancient vase painting Eros is depicted as either a handsome youth or as a child. His attributes were varied: from the usual bow and arrows, to the gifts of a lover--a hare, a sash, or a flower. Sculptors preferred the image of the bow-armed boy, whereas mosaic artists favoured the figure of a winged putto (plump baby).