Grand Tour Coral Sheep Head Pin
A highly unusual carved coral sheep's head is set atop this Grand Tour period stick pin made during the early 1800s. She was likely carved in the small costal town of Torre del Greco in the Kingdom of Naples, where, riding the wave of Neoclassisim, such pieces were produced as souvenirs for European aristocrats on their 'Grand Tours'. The face is quite strikingly beautiful with its curved, aquiline nose and tufts of curly hair spilling down over the forehead.
Often associated with Faunus, sheep and goats were symbols of rustic life and earthly qualities, sometimes sharing Faunus’ links with sexuality, with rams sometimes extended to a symbol of fertility. As a common choice for ritual sacrifice, sheep also appear as an image of piety and devotion to the gods.
[Source: antiquities.co.uk]
Era: Georgian, circa 1800
Head: 17.8mm by 13.5mm
Pin length: 7.5cm
Stone: Coral
Marks: None, tested as silver
Condition: Great antique condition; a single instance of crazing over the left eyebrow.
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[Last updated: January 2026]
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Condition
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