Victorian Hermes Cameo Brooch
Cool neoclassical cameo brooch depicting Greek god Hermes wearing his winged cap. Utilising a single piece of Bull's Mouth shell, the carver has used the white band in the shell for the subject and the orange/brown band as the background. It's mounted in 9 carat gold with a Greek Key engraved border.
Son of Zeus and Maia the Pleiad, Hermes (or Mercury to the Romans) used his famous winged sandals to travel between realms - divine, mortal, and underworld - acting as the emissary and herald of the Olympian Gods. He carried the Caduceus, the winged staff with two snakes (often confused with the similar Rod of Ascelpeus) gifted to him by Apollo, that came to represent the higher traits of its owner: trade and commerce, wealth, wisdom, eloquence, negotiation, and thieving.
Charming, cunning, and cheeky, he was known among the ancients as both protector trickster, as well as a bringer of luck and good fortune. The earliest known reference to Hermes is Homeric Hymn 4, which describes his birth, the theft of Apollo's beloved cattle to the delight of Zeus, and the creation of the first ever lyre from a tortoise - all before sunset on the day of his birth. An expert from the hymn reads:
“Muse, sing of Hermes, the son of Zeus and Maia, lord of Cyllene and Arcadia rich in flocks, the luck-bringing messenger of the immortals whom Maia bare, the rich-tressed nymph, when she was joined in love with Zeus... and when the purpose of great Zeus was fulfilled, and the tenth moon with her was fixed in heaven, she was delivered and a notable thing was come to pass. For then she bore a son, of many shifts, blandly cunning, a robber, a cattle driver, a bringer of dreams, a watcher by night, a thief at the gates, one who was soon to show forth wonderful deeds among the deathless gods. Born with the dawning, at mid-day he played on the lyre, and in the evening he stole the cattle of far-shooting Apollo on the fourth day of the month; for on that day queenly Maia bare him."
Era: Victorian, circa 1870
Size: 3.2cm by 3.9cm
Stone: Bull's Mouth Shell
Marks: None present, tested as 9ct gold
Condition: Good antique condition
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Condition
We offer detailed and accurate condition reports on each listing. These pieces are antique, vintage, or pre-loved, often over 100 years old so they're going to have lived a life. A healthy patina and the odd scuff/scrape are quite normal... it's part of their charm! Everything we present has been checked over by our jeweller and should be good for wear for many years to come (unless otherwise stated) but please remember to treat them with appropriate care and consideration for their age.
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