Antique "Vesuvian Lava" Cameo of Psyche Mounted as a Brooch, c. 1900

Have you ever walked through Alberta Iela in Riga? Dozens of mascarons carved in stone in the Art Nouveau style look down from the building facades at passers-by, Medusa and sphinxes, demons and beautiful women. There is something sublime, quite beautiful, but at the same time uncanny about them, with their deep eyes and enraptured expressions, some of which are borrowed from the world of Roman theater masks. We were reminded of this impressive sight by this brooch, which shows a very similar portrait. It refers to Psyche, the goddess of the soul, recognizable by her butterfly wings. The image is carved in so-called "Vesuvius lava". In fact, this is not cooled lava from the volcano, but sedimentary rock that was quarried in the region around Naples in various shades of color. However, as most travelers to Italy in the 19th century were fascinated by the tragic history of Pompeii, the name "Vesuvius lava" proved to be a clever trick in the trade - sonorous and sales-promoting. But what makes this brooch so unusual? The popularity of lava jewelry peaked in the 1860s and 1870s, and its motifs were mostly based on classical works of art history. The present cameo, however, is modern, close to the pulsating zeitgeist of the c. 1900s - its visual language has the clear lines and the captivating and haunting intensity that we associate with the sculptures of Symbolism and the mascarons of Art Nouveau. Psyche's eyes stare as if enraptured into a distance hidden from the viewer. As the goddess of the soul, she is an extremely fitting motif, as her mysterious states were the object not only of the Symbolists for the first time, but also of the burgeoning psychology named after her. An extremely unusual and at the same time fascinating piece of jewellery. We were able to discover it in London; the carving was also set as a brooch in England, as the silver stamp on the reverse shows.

Estimation:€890

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