• Material: Sardonyx Shell, 15 k gold tested.
• Size: 2 5/8" by 2 1/8 ",cameo itself is 2 1/8 " by 1 5/8 ".
• Date and Origin: Circa 1850 Italy.
• Conditions: Excellent, just a smallest tarnished spot on the gold frame.

 
Museum Quality cameo depicting the Allegory of the Night. This cameo makes me speechless for the delicacy and the beauty of the carving which is so delicate and fine, then this one is so large and enahmced by a wonderful gold frame. I have never found this subject so depicted, usually the bird who companies Selene is the owl but this one has a bat carved. Of course the symbolism is the same, owl and bat are both nocturne birds. This is even more rare because there are stars carved everywhere on her veil, and again there are six stars around her head when usually there is only one, even these details have been never seen before. The Goddess face is wonderful, her nose, her lips and her chin so perfectly made. Her hair are so delicately carved. Her face is three-dimensional, look how her cheek comes out roundly from the background, her perfect closed eye and all her face expression give the sensation of peace. She's sweetest. Her symbols are all shown, the moon, the stars, the poppies flowers on her head. Her veil is so wonderfully carved that just seems transparent. Her face shows serenity and her closed eyes just give you the impression that she’s peacefully sleeping and making lovely dreams. Look at her veil and at its folds, it is just there was a sweet wind who moves it and it seems just real. This cameo is pure beauty. Looking at her I can really see as she was sleeping because her face expression is so real. A sense of peace and tranquillity comes out from this wonderful cameo, it can be felt immediately when you look at it.  A magnificent Etruscan revival frame completes this artwork. There is a locked on the back of the cameo where probably a picture was put inside. I have owned only a few cameos depicting this subject and honestly have to say that this one is one of the best I have ever had.  A true artwork to collect. 
 



A bit of History:


Selene, Goddess of the Moon, daughter of Hyperion. her assignment is to bring the moonlight to the humans driving a cart drawn from oxen or from horses that runs after the solar one, in many representations. Generally described like a beautiful woman with pale face that wears long, flowing, white or silver robe and that has on her head a waxing moon and a torch in her hand. In the Greek-Roman mythology tradition the Moon, thanks to the mutability of its aspect that makes it unique between the stars, has been associated to three divinity and tied to three its "events". Full moon, New moon and Waxing moon. Life metaphor (full moon), death (new moon) rebirth (waxing moon). Since time immemorial these three lunar figures have represented the cycle of  life involving apparently heterogeneous phenomena  like the birth, the death, the fertility, the femininity, the immortality. Selene, (from Selas - Greek) means splendour.