Antique Conch Shell Cameo Brooch in Gold-Plated Silver, c. 1870s

Shell cameos were mainly created in Italy in the 19th century, especially for travelers on a Grand Tour. This so-called cavalier tour, which was intended to improve the education of travelers, took them to the ancient monuments and art collections of Rome and Naples, and the early tourists brought back small souvenirs from their trip across the Alps to commemorate their experiences on their Italian journey. Not only motifs from classical mythology were carved into the small reliefs, paintings by famous painters were also often the inspiration. Here we see a motif reminiscent of the putti depicted by painters of the Dutch Golden Age. We see four clumsy putti engrossed in a game. Are they marbles or are they playing pieces on a playing field carved into the ground? The scene seems almost contemplative, as the children are absorbed in their game - watched over solely by Minerva, the goddess of war, who can be seen under a tree on a stele in the background. The scene is cut into the two-tone shell of a snail shell; the material is the large fencer's snail (Strombus gigas), which was available to cameo cutters in Europe from the mid-19th century. The figures stand out in white against a rosy background. A simple frame made of gold-plated silver makes it wearable as a brooch. The pieces of jewellery came to us from Munich.

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