X427: Cameo of Venus
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© The Holburne Museum of Art, Bath
| Museum number | X427 |
| Title | Cameo of Venus |
| Additional title | Thetis borne on the waves |
| Object type | In category: Gems » Cameo |
| Date | Between 1550 and 1600 |
| People |
Unknown - Gem carver(s) |
| Place of origin | Europe » Southern Europe » Italy » Italy |
| Condition |
Good |
| Dimensions |
3.6 cm height whole 3.7 cm width whole |
| Materials & techniques |
In category:
Rock/ Mineral
»
Agate
|
| Description | Cameo of grey and pinkish-white agate cut with a central nude female figure. She holds a billowing length of drapery and is standing on the back of a dolphin amid waves. Two tritons swim to the left and Neptune, holding a trident, is to the right. | ||||||
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Style |
Renaissance
|
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| Subject |
Figure Mythology |
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| Notes | This is the finest renaissance gem in Holburne's collection. It was probably made in Northern Italy during the second half of the sixteenth century. The subject is probably the birth of Venus. In Classical mythology Venus, the goddess of love, was born of sea foam and blown ashore by the winds. However, the figure may alternatively represent the sea nymph Thetis, mother of Achilles. The art of gemstone carving was known in ancient Greece and Rome and revived in Renaissance Italy, when connoisseurs began to form rich collections of engraved stones. |
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| Literature |
Gertrude Seidman, 'A Rediscovered Gem Collection in Bath', Jewellery Studies, vol. 7 (1996), p.74, fig.7 |
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| Muse theme | The Art of Collecting |
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| Muse chapter |
The History of the Holburne Collection » Sir William Holburne and his Collection » Establishing taste: Sir William' s Grand Tour, 1824-5
The History of the Holburne Collection » The Collection » Gems and Jewels |
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| Gallery Label |
Cameo. Italian, 16th -17th century. Chalcedony, carved with Venus borne on the waves. X427 (Unknown) 1998 |
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| Method of acquisition | Bequest | ||||||
| Provenance | Thomas William Holburne (1793-1874); by whom bequeathed to Mary Anne Barbara Holburne (1802-1882), by whom bequeathed to the Museum | ||||||
| Exhibition history |
Title of exhibition: Holburne One hundred: an exhibition to commemorate the Centenary of the Museum's opening and the Bicentenary of Sir William Holburne's birth Title of exhibition: The Beauties of Bath: the Holburne Museum Revealed Title of exhibition: Town House Treasures; Sir Thomas William Holburne of Bath |
