• Material: Sardonyx Shell, 15K gold tested.
•  Size: 2 1/8" by 1 7/8"
•  Date and Origin: Circa 1850 Italy, frame is English.
• Conditions: Immaculate.

More than Museum Quality and huge cameo depicting  Zeus the King of Gods. The eagle is the symbol of Zeus. I think that words are not necessary to describe this cameo. In my life I have seen this subject only twice. Of course Zeus was a popular subject on cameos but finding a front face one and more than wonderfully carved is rare. Just look at the pictures and you'll be amazed by his expression, he really seems to be alive.  Everything is so realistic,  this cameo seems just like a sculpture.  This is one of the most beautiful cameo I have ever seen, the pictures speak by themselves. The frame is spectacular too, so elaborate and wonderful. This is another masterly carved cameo. A very desirable collectors piece, rare and museum quality cameo.
A Bit of History:
Zeus  in Greek mythology is the king of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus, and the god of the sky and thunder. His symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle, bull and the oak. Zeus was the child of Cronus and Rhea, and the youngest of his siblings. In most traditions he was married to Hera, although at the oracle of Dodona his consort was Dione: according to the Iliad, he is the father of Aphrodite by Dione. He is known for his erotic escapades, including one pederastic relationship with Ganymede. These resulted in many famous offspring, including Athena, Apollo and Artemis, Hermes, Persephone (by Demeter), Dionysus, Perseus, Heracles, Helen, Minos, and the Muses (by Mnemosyne); by Hera he is usually said to have fathered Ares, Hebe and Hephaestus.His Roman counterpart was Jupiter.