Unusual "Vesuvius Lava" Cameo of a Lady with Her Dog, Italy c. 1860

The motif of this special cameo has accompanied mankind since early times. It tells of the connection between man and dog, which has always been based on trust and affection. The small relief depicts a lady whose hair is pinned up and adorned with flowers and whose clothes transport us back to the middle of the 19th century. A small dog rests under her arm, tenderly touching her hand. He snuggles up to her as if he had been her faithful companion for many years, and their posture betrays a silent understanding that can only be the result of friendship and love. The dog has always been a symbol of unwavering loyalty. This cameo with its touching motif can therefore become a gift that expresses a close bond and quietly shows that someone is important to you. The piece was set around 1860 in plain, gold-plated pinchbeck, a brass alloy that was often used instead of gold at the time. The relief itself is cut from so-called "Vesuvius lava", a sedimentary rock from the area around Naples that occurs in many shades of color. The name suggests cooled lava, but in reality, dealers seized on the great interest of Italian travelers in the tragic downfall of Pompeii and turned the term lava into an appealing advertising word that lent the pieces a special aura. Our cameo is a fine shade of olive and found its way to us from London. It most probably originated in the Bay of Naples, where such pieces were produced in great variety at the time.

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