Large Mediterranean Coral Cameo in a Silver Ring, c. 1910

Ideals of beauty change over the course of time. What was desirable a few centuries ago sometimes no longer seems relevant today. In classicism, for example, tanned skin was a sign of poverty. Only a pale pallor was considered luxurious and beautiful. In the Baroque period, Peter Paul Rubens set the framework for the ideal of beauty of his era with his voluptuous portraits of women, whereas today the Western world is starving for thinness. But as ideals change, so do the compliments. Today, the term "cow" is considered unflattering for a lady. In classical antiquity, the value of the dairy animal in relation to the fairer sex was completely different. One of the epithets of Hera, the mistress of the Olympian heaven of the gods, was "the cow-eyed one" - and this was meant as a compliment - because cows really do have beautiful eyes! The "cow-eyed one" appears as a relief in this ring. Hera can be recognized by her diadem, the so-called Stepháne (Greek στεφάνη), which distinguishes her as a married woman. The depiction of the goddess is carved from a large piece of fine precious coral and is dressed in antique garb. While cameos in shell are quite common, those made of coral are far more precious. After all, how much more difficult is it to find a sufficiently large, high-quality piece of coral than a similarly sized one made of mussel shell! This is why this cameo is such a special and rare piece. The elegant setting of the Hera, which makes it a ring, is made of silver and reflects the taste of the years around 1910. A beaded frame surrounds the coral and shoulders with attached volutes lead to the ring band, which is simply made of two round wires. The beautiful ring, whose cameo was probably created in Italy, found its way to us here in Berlin.

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