Precious cornucopia brooch with diamonds & pearls, Art Deco ca. 1930

More than one carat of sparkling diamonds as well as six velvety shimmering pearls: The brooch presented here bestows a precious treasure on us. She is inundated with blossoms of light and sunflowers, studded with the treasures of the earth stream from a wide-opening cornucopia. The cornucopia (Latin cornu copiae "horn of plenty") is an ancient mythological symbol of good fortune. Filled with flowers and fruits, treasures or coins, it stands for generosity, wealth and abundance. In Greek mythology, the cornucopia first belonged to the mythical goat Amaltheia, who used it to raise Zeus. Later, however, it was also used by the deities of earth (Gaia), peace (Eirene), fate (Fortuna) and wealth (Plutos). The personification of abundance, the Abbondanza, also carries such a horn. Probably one of her most impressive representations can be found spectacularly staged at the point-de-vue of the main avenue of the Giardino di Boboli in Florence, the garden of the Palazzo Pitti. The brooch here shows that this symbol, known since antiquity, was still familiar in the years around 1930. The brooch by a probably German goldsmith "CR" combines white gold and rose gold in a manner typical of the time to set the large diamonds and pearls. Fluttering ribbons surround the finely detailed blossoms that pour out of the cornucopia. They are still holding the precious cargo together, but soon, it seems, they will want to pour out into the world. The brooch holds all these blossoms securely, of course. But the design is characterized by a dynamic all of its own, a movement so typical of Art Deco jewellery. It was an eventful time in the search for beauty: in the extraordinary brooch here, a lady had at least found all these longings in one piece of jewellery.

Estimate:£2,030.13

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