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Barnebys HQ
Brahegatan 10
BOX 5038
114 37 Stockholm
All auctions / Jewellery & Gems / Powerful Silver Ring Depicting Hercules From Our Workshop
For centuries, owning antique cameos was the passion and goal of all the princes of our continent. Every collection, whether large or small, from the Green Vault in Dresden to the treasury of Rudolf II to private collections such as that of Baron von Stosch or Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, always had its own section for these witnesses to the past. It was above all the depictions of ancient gods, heroes and emperors that attracted the interest of collectors. A glance at the face of Augustus bridges 2,000 years in the blink of an eye, and the gods of Olympus are suddenly completely present. However, the number of ancient cameos with beautiful depictions was (and is!) naturally limited. The desire to be close to distant antiquity therefore soon led to a large number of new cameos being created based on ancient models. In Goethe's time, around 1800, these stones were not regarded as forgeries, but as additions to the ancient tradition, and were valued for their own sake just as much as the ancient models. We are now delighted to present a ring from our workshop that picks up on this centuries-old game of imitation, competition and appropriation. In the shiny polished surface of the ring face, we see a detailed depiction of the ancient hero Hercules, recessed in the style of an intaglio and effectively blackened. The demigod, famous for his strength, is depicted with a powerful full beard. Numerous stories surround his cleverness and strength, with which he mastered twelve actually impossible tasks imposed on him. Among other things, he had to conquer the Nemean lion, whose fur he wears as a hood on his head in the depiction on the ring. Hercules is regularly depicted with the lion's skin, which made him invulnerable when he wore it as a cloak. The silver ring is based on a model from around 1800. The antique ring had a cameo made of glass depicting Hercules, which had obviously been created based on ancient models and in competition with antiquity. Our goldsmith has now recreated this ring, creating a ring that continues the long tradition of depicting Hercules. The ring can be worn by both men and women. What could possibly go wrong with a Hercules as a faithful companion?
Estimate:£245.48
To the auctionView all items fromHofer AntikschmuckorJewellery & Gems
Estimate:
£245.48
Paul Wunderlich (1927 Eberswalde - 2010 Saint-Pierre-de-Vassols) Ginkgo-Collier
07/17/2026
£1,872.17
Est: £1,909.55
OCT 17 | 10:00 PM
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Paul Wunderlich (Eberswalde 1927-St. Pierre de Vassols 2010), a sterling
08/26/2025
£224.19
Est: £130.48
