Posted 5 years ago
Passion4Ca…
(6 items)
I don't know if Cupid and Bacchus had much in common. I think it is rather unusual to see them together. Certainly not in a cameo.. Unless I am mistaken that it is they?
UPDATE: I decided to try and find out more about this unusual alliance of Bacchus and Cupid. I once seem to remember coming across a painting of a young Bacchus with Cupid. But this time I found these referecnses instead. All very interesting!
The plaque is by Bertel Thorvaldsen.
Such a gorgeous cameo, beautiful faces. It's definitely Cupid with the arrow holder, I know that Bacchus had the grapes but not a mythology expert, wasn't the goddess Persephone also associated with fruit, someone here will confirm & know for sure. Lovely post
Cupid and Bacchus has played a strong role in my life. LOL !! We work as a team !
Absolutely breath taking piecedetail is amazing
Thank you for your comments. Maybe it coudl be a Bacchante maiden @ Newfd. @blunderbuss2 that's a good one lol!
Definitely an unusual pairing. When the two figures are one over the other this way, it is said to be a 'jugate' composition. The highly skilled carver of this piece was no doubt influenced by the frequently seen jugate cameos of Day & Night:
https://www.cameotimes.com/index.php/profiles-1/allegorical/day-and-night?showall=&start=1
I'm inclined to see the figure behind as a bacchante/maenad, one of his followers, rather than as the god himself, but Dionysus frequently has an effeminate look (all that carousing!) & it can be difficult to know for sure what the carver meant.
I think blunderbuss2 is on the right track. It certainly could be seen as an allegorical representation of two things that get a lot of people in trouble: drink & lust.
Beautifully done & extremely unusual. Without seeing the back, guessing turn of the 20th century.
@cameosleuth I enjoy reading and learning from you. This cameo did originally have its pin a 'c' clasp replaced. But there was a 'c' clasp there. So it is about turn of the century it would seem yes.
I tried to reister for cameotimes.com today but somehow I could not verify my email address. Igot error 504 I think...
I liked bluder's interpretation..perhaps it could be right. But I do seem to remember coming across a painting of Bacchus and Cupid somewhere I will try and look again..
PS I was very annoyed when I took the cameo to my jewellr to have the pin (which was missing) replaced. To my surprise and dismay the jeweller decided to 'do me a favour' and replaced the 'c' clasp. I should not have accepted but I was too taken aback to do anything about it. I thought that further temperaing with the cameo would not be to its advantage. So it now has a new saftey roll over clasp.
There's a glitch in the CameoTimes registration system that seems out of our control to fix, but info still comes through where it needs to. If you check the e-mail you used to register, you'll find a message saying you're all set. :)
Yay that's great news thanks @cameosleuth :)
This is such a beautiful piece I would be afraid of wearing it.
@Jennifer I understand how you feel! I just love to look at the piecees in my collection but do not wear them. When I hold a beautiful cameo in my hand it always gives me great joy and a sense of wonder.
Sounds as though your jeweler was afraid you would wear it & lose it and thought you would like to have it made safer ti wear. I wear cameo pendants & use one brooch with a vertically mounted pin to hold a light wrap closed.
Was your jeweler able to attach the new hinge at the same spot as the old? If not, would have had to relocate the clasp to align it with the pin stem.
@cameosleuth that is a great way to secure a cameo brooch! Re the alteration on the cameo, I have to say that the jeweler did a very neat job of changing the clasp. The pin seems to have been placed in its origianl space. The cameo is in storage at present but at some point I will take some pictures of the back.
Cameosleuth I would love to hear your own personal opinion on wheter removing the oringinal 'c' clasp de values a cameo or not. Personally I have a 'soft spot' for 'c' clasps and would never intentionally replace one. But perhaps I may be mistaken in my view. The jeweller who replaced it was adamant that it does not in any way de-value the cameo brooch. I guess opinions differ.