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A Neoclassical banded agate cameo ring, 1800
€ 31,500.00
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The oval-shaped banded agate, finely carved to depict in relief the bust of Hercules' wife Omphale in profile, wearing the nemean lion skin, mounted in a yellow gold ring, circa...
The oval-shaped banded agate, finely carved to depict in relief the bust of Hercules' wife Omphale in profile, wearing the nemean lion skin, mounted in a yellow gold ring, circa 1800.Ring size 53 1/2. Total weight: 14.31 grams.
Perhaps the most famous of the ancient heroes, the Greek character Heracles, or Hercules to the Romans, undertook twelve trials in an act of redemption. These tasks - named labours - were immortalised in many works of art from the Classical world until today... The first of these labours saw Hercules tasked with the slaughter of a golden-furred lion that was terrorising the hills around Nemea. Impervious to hercules' arrows, he chased the lion to its cave - blocking on of its two entrances to find himself in close quarters with his opponent, Hercules used his immense physical strength to strangle it. He subsequently used one of the lion's own claws to skin it. This pelt, worn as a headdress, is perhaps the most common detail (rivalled only by his tapering gnarled-wood club) used by artists to pronounce Hercules' identity.
This cameo is a great example of the beautified reverential variety of depictions from the Neoclassical years at the turn of the 19th century. That being said, the female facial features and cascading curls of this cameo suggest that this particular depiction is more than likely Hercules' wife Omphale rather than he himself... as she is also depicted wearing his pelt and sometimes with his club in reference to a Greek comedic addition to Herakles' labours in which he is sent in servitude to the the queen of Lydia in Asia Minor - Omphale - for a year...during which he was supposedly even depicted wearing women's clothing and she his famous pelt and club... a rather wonderful comedy of the inversion of roles, one can understand that this chapter of the great hero's life wasn't one that took centre stage in many of history's recollections.. but it did inspire artists through the ages - with sculptures, paintings, plays and even an opera having Hercules' cross-dressing days brought to light. Omphale freed Hercules after his year of servitude and they married, and had a son
Perhaps the most famous of the ancient heroes, the Greek character Heracles, or Hercules to the Romans, undertook twelve trials in an act of redemption. These tasks - named labours - were immortalised in many works of art from the Classical world until today... The first of these labours saw Hercules tasked with the slaughter of a golden-furred lion that was terrorising the hills around Nemea. Impervious to hercules' arrows, he chased the lion to its cave - blocking on of its two entrances to find himself in close quarters with his opponent, Hercules used his immense physical strength to strangle it. He subsequently used one of the lion's own claws to skin it. This pelt, worn as a headdress, is perhaps the most common detail (rivalled only by his tapering gnarled-wood club) used by artists to pronounce Hercules' identity.
This cameo is a great example of the beautified reverential variety of depictions from the Neoclassical years at the turn of the 19th century. That being said, the female facial features and cascading curls of this cameo suggest that this particular depiction is more than likely Hercules' wife Omphale rather than he himself... as she is also depicted wearing his pelt and sometimes with his club in reference to a Greek comedic addition to Herakles' labours in which he is sent in servitude to the the queen of Lydia in Asia Minor - Omphale - for a year...during which he was supposedly even depicted wearing women's clothing and she his famous pelt and club... a rather wonderful comedy of the inversion of roles, one can understand that this chapter of the great hero's life wasn't one that took centre stage in many of history's recollections.. but it did inspire artists through the ages - with sculptures, paintings, plays and even an opera having Hercules' cross-dressing days brought to light. Omphale freed Hercules after his year of servitude and they married, and had a son
