Featured Signed Cameo- let's learn together!

fridolina · Jan 18, 2021

Bronwen said: ↑

I, like the dealer who brought the vase to William Hamilton's attention, believe the scene is Orpheus arriving just as Eurydice has been struck down by the serpent, with Hades patiently waiting on the other side, knowing Orpheus cannot save her & she will be his. Cupid is in the scene to indicate the two are a loving couple & seems to be sounding the alarm, leading Orpheus to the site.

This is not how the traditional story goes, Orpheus does not try to rescue her from the Underworld until she has been taken down & is not there to help when she is wounded, but it accounts for all the elements in a way that none of the many other proposed interpretations does. The question has never been settled.

You've opened a whole can of worms with this question. Josiah Wedgwood had a monograph printed with the many interpretations of this scene and of the one on the other side (about which I haven't a clue). Many hypotheses revolve around the idea that the bearded serpent is a ketos, a sea serpent, & that therefore the figures must have a link to the ocean. In these scenarios the lady is the nymph Thetis. Raphael used similar serpents to draw the chariot of Saturn/Cronos:

I have only seen cameos like the one in question in that same brown. I surmise they were souvenirs of the British Museum or perhaps the Wedgwood factory, if they gave tours.
Click to expand...

Thank you! Very interesting info. Learned a lot.

Forum	Title	Date
Jewelry	Signed cameo, interesting depiction, please help identify!	Feb 3, 2024
Jewelry	14K White Gold Blue Stones Signed - Help with maker please	Jan 16, 2024
Jewelry	I found this vintage brooch signed by VW	Jan 1, 2024
Jewelry	Silver test results on 2 unmarked silver necklaces & signed earrings	Nov 14, 2023
Jewelry	What does this signed Miracle pendant symbolize?	Oct 15, 2023

Log in or Sign up

Featured Signed Cameo- let's learn together!

fridolina Well-Known Member

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

Featured Signed Cameo- let's learn together!

fridolina Well-Known Member

Share This Page

Useful Searches