Western Europe, Neoclassical Period, ca. 19th century CE. A fabulous brooch pin of exquisite form with an annular setting shaped from 79.4% gold. The recessed edge of the setting is decorated with dozens of petite frets that radiate outwards around a hand-carved, salmon-hued cameo. Emanating from the center of the cameo is a white and orange, left-facing head of the Roman goddess Minerva (Greek Athena) with a stern countenance and a curly coiffure beneath a crested, centurion-style helmet. A pin and pin catch on the verso enable this brooch to be worn on a garment, and a hinged suspension loop can be used to wear this brooch as a pendant. Size (setting): 1.21" Diameter (3.1 cm); (cameo): 0.84" Diameter (2.1 cm); gold quality: 79.4% (equivalent to 18K+); weight: 8.1 grams
Provenance: private East Coast collection, New York, New York, USA, acquired before 2010
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance),
we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#169409
Condition
Wearable as shown. Intact and excellent with wonderful luster to gold setting and great preservation to finer details of Minerva head. Pin, pin catch, and hinged suspension loop all articulate smoothly. Exterior of pin catch is stamped with "10K" indicating its gold quality and not that of the entire setting.