Huge Antique Museum Quality Victorian Menelaus / Ajax Cameo 2.75 Inch 10K Brooch

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Huge Antique Museum Quality Victorian Menelaus / Ajax Cameo 2.75 Inch 10K Brooch:
$3950.00

Perfect Huge MuseumQuality Victorian Menelaus / Ajax Cameo in a 10k Gold Brooch
Cameo Material: Shell
Brooch Material: Acid Tested 10K gold (pin and safety chain did not test asgold)

Approximate Total Size: 2.75 inches (6.99 cm) Length, 2.25 inches(5.72 cm) Width

Approximate Cameo Size: 2.5 inches (5.72 cm) Length by 2.0 inches(5.08) Width

Weight: 28.8 grams

Please feel free to makeme an offer and please check out my other items.

This is a beautiful MuseumQuality Victorian cameo of Ajax or Menelaus. The cameo has been immaculatelycarved in a 3-D fashion. Menelaus / Ajax has a wonderfully carved beard andflowing hair. He is wearing an incredible helmet with a bird near the front ofthe helm and a depiction of a Hercules holding the skin of the Nemean lion attackingcentaur at the top. Ajax / Menelaus iswearing a classic Greco-Roman garb. You can see every wonderful detail from thelocks of his hair to the musculature of his chest have been carved perfectly inaccordance neoclassical imagery of the subject

The cameo is absolutely huge and I have never seen such a largecameo carved so finely. With the exception of the intaglio carved by the masterNathaniel Marchant, which is probably worth a fortune, this is by far thefinest depiction of this very rare theme that I have observed in cameo /intaglio form. The approximate cameosize is 2.5 inches (5.72 cm) Length by 2.0inches (5.08) Width.

The cameo is inspiredfrom the Pasquino Group otherwise known as ‘Menelaus supporting the body ofPatroclus’ located in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence Italy.

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The Pasquino Group wasinitially fragments of a Roman sculpture onto which ‘restorations’ wereperformed in the 16th and 17th centuries. It is unknown howmuch the neoclassical depiction differed from the original one. As you can readin the Wiki entry there is also a second Medici group which is identified asAjax rather than Menelaus. However, these pieces have not been assembled orrestored. There are several othersimilar Roman depictions that have been unearthed which are said to have beencopies of an original Greek depiction in the 3rd Century B.C.E.

Although both Ajax andMenelaus defended the body of Patroclus, it is Menelaus in Book XVII:722-761 ofthe Iliad that carries the body of Patroclus along with Meriones. I originallythought that the depiction was Ajax. However, I am more inclined to believethat it is Menelaus after doing more research.

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The symbolism on thehelm is original to the original Pasquino group. Ajax and his father Telamonwere both known to have been trained by the centaur Chiron. However, the scene onthe helm appears to depict Hercules assaulting a centaur. It is not clear to meat this point what association this symbolism has with either Menelaus or Ajax.But, there are plenty of theories out there.

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Brooch:

The10K (acid tested) brooch fits very well overall with the piece. It has linescarved into the floral sides. I have tested the brooch at multiple points includingthe c-clasp which both test at 10K. The pin and safety chain do not testpositive for gold.

The approximate total size of the brooch is2.75 inches (6.99 cm)Length, 2.25 inches (5.72 cm) Width.I did not remove the cameo fromthe brooch to weigh it separately. Together they weigh 28.8 grams.

Condition:Overall the shell is in wonderful condition and is very thick and solid. There is some obvious white discoloration onthe top and right sides of the cameo. Additionally there is a brown spot alongthe classic garb at the bottom right. Lastly there are some thin hairlinesvisible to the rear of the piece. These hairlines are not visible from thefront and do not run through the entirety of the cameo. I am not sure whetherthese issues relate to age, are original to shell, or are from some otherprocess. They do not discount from the absolute beauty of the carving and thecameo. Despite the flaws, this is a magnificent piece. I have made every effortto provide accurate photographic evidence of any blemishes I have identifiedduring my inspection of the item.Payment:

Payment should be madevia Paypal within 7 days of the sale. I only accept Paypal payments.Shipping:

I will ship the itemwithin 3 days of payment. I will cover insurance and shipping fees which areapproximately $25.00. I will ship via first class mail USPS with insurance onthe item.International shipping will be a higher price dependent upon location. Thiscost will also include shipmenttracking and insurance. For internationalshipping: the purchaser is responsible for all fees/costs/taxes associated withinternational shipping including customs duties, etc.Import duties,taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. Thesecharges are the buyer\'s responsibility.Please check with yourcountry\'s customs office to determine what these additional costs will be priorto offerding/buying.

Please Message me if you need additional information.

Returns:Item returns will be accepted. Buyer must notify me within 14 days from the“date of acceptance” of the delivery of the item. No refunds will be given ifthe item has been altered, damaged, tampered with, etc. Refunds will be givenupon receipt of the item in the condition that it was sent. Buyer will pay thereturn shipping costs including insurance on the item for the sale price whichit was purchased for.Thanks for your interest and good luck. If you are interested in the itemplease send me an offer.