Antique Red Gold Snake Brooch with Diamond, Germany c. 1900

This brooch shows the body of a snake in warm, luminous red gold, elegantly winding around itself. Its head is set with a historic old-cut diamond of around 0.10 carats, whose vibrant light draws the eye. Two small rose cut diamonds form the eyes and give the animal a fine, almost lively expression. The snake has a long tradition as a jewelry motif. Since ancient times, the snake has fascinated people with its double meaning: feared as a cunning seductress and at the same time revered as a symbol of renewal and eternal life. As an attribute of Asclepius, it became a symbol of the art of healing, and its shedding of its skin was seen as a sign of rebirth. At the turn of the century in particular, the snake motif gained renewed importance in jewellery as part of symbolist art. This brooch also dates from the c. 1900s and fits in harmoniously with this contemporary taste. It combines symbolic depth with an elegant, lively design and is a beautiful example of the figurative jewellery of its era. We discovered it here in Berlin.

Estimate:£1,010.82

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