- Material: Cornelian Shell, 15k gold tested.
- Size: 2 2/8" by 2", only cameo is 1 6/8" by 1 1/2".
- Date and Origin: Circa 1860 Italy.
- Conditions: Immaculate
Museum Quality quality shell cameo depicting the Allegory of the Night. The Goddess Selene is here portrayed with all of her symbols, as the owl holding poppies in its pawns, and poppies in her hair, then Moon and star which are other two attributes of Selene. This is a cameo of intense beauty, carved by an artist. 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. Even the owl who holds the poppies is amazingly carved and seems smiling. This cameo is delicately and crisply carved The Goddess face is wonderful, her nose, her lips and her chin so perfectly made. Her perfect closed eye and her face expression gives a sensation of peace. She's sweetest. Her veil is so wonderfully carved that just seems transparent. 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 chiselled frame completes this artwork. A true fabulous piece to collect. This is another masterly carved cameo for your collection. A very desirable piece.
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.
