Neoclassical Perseus Cameo Brooch
Perseus was Greece’s undisputed hero numero uno of the pre-Heraclean age. And incidentally (or perhaps not), he was both half-brother and great-grandfather of Heracles himself. Perseus was a demi-god, son of Zeus and the mortal Danaë, and his exploits are literally legendary - from slaying the Gorgon Medusa to the rescue of Andromeda from Poseidon’s vengeance incarnate, the sea monster Cetus. The ancient Greeks thought Perseus was an authentic historical figure, believing him to have founded Mycenae - his royal seat.
Perseus is here depicted in profile facing right wearing a his winged Phrygian cap and carved from a single piece of bull's mouth shell. It is likely that the carver was familiar with Antonio Canova's sculpture Perseus with the Head of Medusa which was completed in 1801 (pictured). The cameo dates from the mid-nineteenth century, circa 1850, and is set in its original pinchbeck mount with overlapping, snake-like (or possibly sea-monster-like...) tubes forming the border; the execution is superb. It was likely taken home as a souvenir from the Italian leg of some young English aristocrat's Grand Tour.
Regarding Canova's iconic statue, "that the sculptor undertook scrupulous, even pedantic, research when planning the Perseus is evident in the label he placed by the finished statue in his studio:
"It is said that when Perseus, son of Jupiter and Danaë, was sent by King Polydectes to fight the Gorgons, he received the sandals and the wings from Mercury who loved him especially. These wings he attached to the prodigious helmet he received from Pluto, which made invisible whoever was wearing it. Many authors describe this helmet as a Phrygian cap, with two ears; in fact, one sees one like it worn by a Pallas (once in the collection of Cardinal Gualtieri) because this goddess also wanted to use it on several occasions. It is also said that he received from Vulcan a diamond sickle, which as Hyginus tells, he used to cut off the head of Medusa. The shape of this pointed and hooked weapon is found on many ancient monuments and Homer and other ancient writers call it probably harpé. To explain the meaning of this term, Suidas applied to it the Greek word lancodrépanon, which means sickle-shaped and pointed knife.
"Interestingly, Canova omitted the polished shield, in whose reflective surface the hero could view safely the fearsome Medusa, whose face turned men to stone. The sculptor’s label suggests both the zeal with which he combed ancient visual and literary sources for authentic details and background material and also the keen interest of his audience in such facts." - Source: The Met Museum
Era: Victorian, circa 1860
Size: 6.2cm by 5.1cm
Stone: Bull's Mouth Shell
Marks: None, tested as pinchbeck
Condition: Great antique condition with light wear consistent with age
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[Last updated: September 15th, 2025]
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