• Material: Lava, 15k gold tested.
• Size: 2 1/8" by 1 6/8", cameo itself is 1 6/8" by 1 3/8".
• Date and Origin: Circa 1860 Italy.
• Conditions: Immaculate.

This is another work of art carved on lava, a museum quality cameo depicting Demeter the Goddess of the harvest (or Ceres in the Roman mythology), the corn, one of her symbols, is on her hair along flowers blossom and small fruits. Behind her shoulder a basket full of fruits and leaves. The carver made a great artwork as this cameo is just like a sculpture, look at how the ears of corn on her head are carved, you can see her hair below the arch formed by the ears of corn. She's also wearing a lovely beaded crown. Everything in this piece is more than superbly carved, her face, her hair, the flowers, the leafs. Her hairstyle is wonderful and fits superbly with her sweet face, tied hair with some curly locks which fall on her forehead and on her shoulders. Her dress has a superb carved border which is waved just under her long neck which is made beautifully, just real, you can even see the small hollow at the base of her neck, simply fantastic. Her face is more than pretty and sweet, she's alive, her round and full mouth is beautifully rendered, her happy and serene expression is really oustanding, her oval of the face is perfect, she's so pretty that she could be a model and just seems that she has eyeshadow on her eyes! The lava stone is of a wonderful color, a grey - pale greenish which is a color that I have rarely seen. The gold frame is another beauty, elaborately worked and perforated gold. Another marvellous work of art. to not to miss.


A bit of history:    

 
In Greek mythology, Demeter  was the goddess of the harvest, who presided over grains, the fertility of the earth, the seasons (personified by the Hours), and the harvest. One of her surnames is Sito (σίτος: wheat) as the giver of food or corn. Though Demeter is often described simply as the goddess of the harvest, she presided also over the sanctity of marriage, the sacred law, and the cycle of life and death. She and her daughter Persephone were the central figures of the Eleusinian Mysteries that also predated the Olympian pantheon.