Lot Essay
For the cameo of Flora cf. I.S. Weber, Geschnitene Steine des 18. bis 20. Jarhunderts, 1995, no. 93 etc.
The Property of
A LADY
A rare gold and cameo presentation parure by Castellani
Details
A rare gold and cameo presentation parure by Castellani
Comprising necklace, bracelet, brooch and two cameo links, the necklace set with ten sardonyx cameos engraved with two heads of Omphale, profiles of Paris and Helen, a gryllus, the bust of a child with quiver of arrows, two female profiles in bandolettos, the wreathed head of a youth and a head of Livia, each in multiple wirework mounts with pendant amphorae between, the cylindrical mesh chain with decorated spacers, the bloomed gold bracelet with four hinged panels inscribed in Ancient Greek between baluster uprights, the front with onyx cameos of Pan and a faun, the oval brooch with sardonyx cameo of a bacchante finely carved in the four layers with a head of Flora, signed with initials, in intricate wirework mount, the similarly mounted sardonyx cameo links with heads of Alexander the Great and Cicero, (few cameos with visible hairlines), circa 1865-1895, the cameos first half of the 19th Century, the necklace 39.5cm. long, bracelet 18cm. long, brooch 5cm. high, in original fitted burgundy velvet case with 'Castellani' in Greek letters inside the lid
The necklace and brooch signed with addorsed C's, the bracelet signed four times with applied monogram of addorsed C's (5)
Comprising necklace, bracelet, brooch and two cameo links, the necklace set with ten sardonyx cameos engraved with two heads of Omphale, profiles of Paris and Helen, a gryllus, the bust of a child with quiver of arrows, two female profiles in bandolettos, the wreathed head of a youth and a head of Livia, each in multiple wirework mounts with pendant amphorae between, the cylindrical mesh chain with decorated spacers, the bloomed gold bracelet with four hinged panels inscribed in Ancient Greek between baluster uprights, the front with onyx cameos of Pan and a faun, the oval brooch with sardonyx cameo of a bacchante finely carved in the four layers with a head of Flora, signed with initials, in intricate wirework mount, the similarly mounted sardonyx cameo links with heads of Alexander the Great and Cicero, (few cameos with visible hairlines), circa 1865-1895, the cameos first half of the 19th Century, the necklace 39.5cm. long, bracelet 18cm. long, brooch 5cm. high, in original fitted burgundy velvet case with 'Castellani' in Greek letters inside the lid
The necklace and brooch signed with addorsed C's, the bracelet signed four times with applied monogram of addorsed C's (5)
Provenance
Presented by the King of Greece to Madame Emile Loubet, great-great grandmother of the present owner and wife of the President of the French Republic 1899-1906