Three-Dimensional Shell Cameo of the Goddess Demeter, c. 1900

The shell cameo here shows a detailed representation of the goddess Demeter. The goddess has been vividly rendered en face, turning her face ever so slightly to the right. Corn sheafs in her hair distinguish Demeter as the goddess of agriculture. Her garment is an ancient peblos. The clear separation between the tinted white of the portrait and the softly darker ground of the shell is also particularly beautiful here. In ancient mythology, Demeter is the goddess of fertility and harvest. She was a sister of Zeus and actually an affable goddess. However, when Hades, the god of the underworld, kidnaps her daughter Persephone with the help of Zeus, things change. Demeter was so enraged that she forbade the trees to bear fruit and prevented the plants from growing, in order to take revenge on the gods and to let the people on earth die. Zeus had to give in and asked Hades to release Persephone. The gods agreed on the following deal: Persephone would be with Hades in the underworld for three months of the year and would be allowed to spend the remaining nine months with Demeter. Demeter agreed and allowed the earth to become fertile again. From the now constantly repeating cycle of Persephone's journey to the underworld and her return three months later to earth, the seasons have developed, according to legend. The cameo is held by a simple silver setting. We discovered the late Victorian piece in London.

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