TALISMAN RINGS: HERCULES, ZEUS AND SOCRATES FEATURE IN IMPORTANT CAMEO RING COLLECTION AT BONHAMS Our Coverage Sponsored by Pacicco & Pacicco
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Ancient Greek gods and goddesses bring good fortune and ward off evil
The Ceres Collection of 101 engraved cameo* and intaglio** rings, will be offered for sale at Bonhams, New Bond Street at the Fine Jewellery sale on 17th September. The collection as a whole is worth an estimated £100,000 and will be offered for sale without reserve.
Historical and mythological figures, Roman and Greek gods and goddesses are carved into semi precious stones and set into golden ring mounts. Gods of fortune, victory, love, light and harvest act as talismans, bringing good luck those who wear them.
Each exquisite ring has its own story to tell:
It has been said that the cameo portrait began during the reign of Alexander the Great (356-323BC).An 18th-19th century cameo of Alexander the Great, set in a later gold ring mount, is offered with an estimate of £800-£1,200. Alexander appears in profile wearing the ram's head of Zeus. Legends claimed that Alexander was son of Zeus and he is often depicted adorned with a ram's horn as a symbol of his divinity.
Alexander III of Macedon, inherited the Ancient Greek kingdom, aged 20. He spent most of his ruling years on military campaign, exploring and expanding his vast realm through Asia and north-east Africa, seeking to reach the "ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea". By the age of thirty he had created one of the largest empires of the ancient world, stretching from Greece to Egypt and across to present day Pakistan.
A Hellenistic intaglio of Zeus is carved in vibrant red cornelian stone and set in a later gold ring mount. The enthroned figure of Zeus, King of gods and men, holds a figure of Nike, the winged goddess of victory. The intaglio ring is offered for £600-£800.
According to mythology, Zeus's father lived in fear of the prophecy that he was to be overcome by his own son, so he swallowed all of his children as soon as they were born. Before Zeus was born, his distraught mother devised a plan to save him. She gave birth to Zeus on the island of Crete and hid him in a cave. Instead of the child, she handed her husband a rock wrapped in swaddling clothes which he promptly swallowed. Many legends make claim to how Zeus was then raised - some alleged that he was raised by a goat and some that he was cared for by a nymph who suspended him from a tree so that he rested between earth, sea and sky, invisible to his father.
An agate cameo showing the philosopher Socrates (470/69-399 BC) is estimated to sell for £800-£1,200. His wise profile emphasised against a blue-grey background. The cameo is thought to date from the Roman era. Credited as the father of modern Western philosophy, Socrates devoted his life to philosophy. However, all that we know about Socrates comes from the writings of his pupils since he did not write anything down. Socrates was sentenced to death for impiety and corruption of youth through his ideas and is said to have committed suicide by drinking a cup of hemlock.
An intaglio of Hercules, strongest of all mortals, is cut in deep red cornelian stone and offered with estimate of £1,500-£2,000. As legend goes, Hercules had murdered his six sons and wife after being driven into a mad rage by the goddess Hera. Tortured with remorse, Hercules pleaded for punishment for his sins and was assigned twelve tasks. In the present lot, Hercules is shown engaging in one of the 'Twelve Labours' - slaying the nine-headed Hydra.
History of the Cameo
Cameos and intaglios have been collected and admired since antiquity. Their history dates back to the early civilizations of the near east, Mesopotamia, Assyria, Minoan Crete and Cyprus, when intaglios – where the design is cut into the stone – were used as seals and means of identification as well as to show off the owner’s wealth.
Emily Barber, Director of Bonhams Jewellery Department, comments: "Since ancient times, cameos and intaglios have been regarded as the discerning person's status symbol; with the sale of The Ceres Collection of 101 exquisite rings, Bonhams hopes to attract a new generation to appreciate the art of gem engraving."
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is the world’s third largest auctioneer of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street and Knightsbridge; and a further two in the UK regions and Scotland. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Connecticut in the USA; and Germany, France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Australia. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments go to www.bonhams.com.
