Victorian Gold Brooch w/ Agate African Lady Cameo

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Ancient & Ethnographic Art Through The Ages

By Artemis Gallery

Feb 10, 2022

Set Reminder 2022-02-10 10:00:00 2022-02-10 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Ancient & Ethnographic Art Through The Ages https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/ancient-ethnographic-art-through-the-ages-8873
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• Lot Description
  Northwestern Europe, England, Victorian era, ca. mid to late 19th century CE. This a gorgeous agate cameo brooch with an African lady centered within a high-quality gold bezel surrounded by Burmese rubies and pearls. The cameo is a single stone that is carved as an elegant African woman in profile with a gold filigree wire hair ornament across her coiffure, gold wire-twist necklace, and a diamond earring. The black cameo is atop white agate to enhance the lovely profile, and then set in a 74% (equivalent to 17K+) gold openwork brooch that contains 4 Burmese pink rubies and 4 pearls. A broad bar pin projects from both sides, and still articulates. The interior underside of the gold setting is engraved with faint and indiscernible marks. Size: 2.35" L x 1.125" W (6 cm x 2.9 cm); gold quality: 74% (equivalent to 17K+); weight: 10 grams
  
  Historical portrayals of African people in European traditions are often overtly negative and allude to servitude. The term for these types of motifs by Europeans are known as "Blackamoor," an insensitive term that Victorian artisans used as synonymously to express prejudiced ideas of "exoticism and otherness." Artisans created jewelry of aristocratic Africans with heavily bejeweled features known as habille cameos. While some cameos are often an elegant portrayal and a stark contrast to the more extreme stereotypical and racist portrayals of African and darker skinned people, it is still important to note these cameos were made in a tradition that saw these people as decorative objects rather than historical figures of importance. Because of this unsavory association with racist depictions, these striking cameos are often overlooked, but in Western cultures where historical depictions of non-white people in any context were so scarce, they are still significant antiques to preserve.
  
  Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, 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.
  
  #159447

  Condition

  Pin articulates, but the clasp has been repaired, and the catch has an added piece of gold which secures the pin in place. Nearly indiscernible marks and numbers on the interior of bezel underside. Cameo is intact and excellent.
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