This listing is for the photographed Antique Authentic Unmounted Cameo Shell with a Portrait of the Greek Goddess Psyche. Measures approximately 1.5 inches tall and 1.25 inches wide. This cameo was hand carved out of a pink toned shell, likely during the Victorian period as this was the height of the popularity of Greek and Roman myths depicted on cameos. The portrait likely depicts the mortal princess turned goddess Psyche, goddess of the soul, as the woman has butterfly wings coming out of her head, which are commonly used to symbolize the goddess in portraiture. More information about the myth of Cupid and Psyche below. This cameo is still in excellent condition, with no cracks or scratches as pictured, some dirt and build-up from age as pictured. The piece is unmounted, having no backing or frame to attach it to a piece of jewelry, but the piece can be easily mounted to the correct frame size. Rare authentic cameo depicting a beautiful and interesting mythological figure!

The classical myth of Eros (Cupid) and Psyche goes as follows: Psyche, a mortal princess, is born with an extraordinary beauty that challenges that of the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite (Venus). Aphrodite is jealous of the girl's beauty, as men have begun to turn their worship away from her and towards Psyche. Aphrodite then ordered her son, Eros (Cupid) to make Psyche fall in love with the most hideous of men so she will no longer take attention away from the goddess. Eros fails in his task, falling in love with the princess himself and taking her to a hidden place out of sight of his mother. He hides his true identity from Psyche, telling her she must never look at his face. Psyche could no longer face the curiosity of the identity of her love, so one night she lit a candle to see his face. Eros woke up from the dripping of hot candle wax and became angry at Psyche's betrayal. Psyche pleads to Aphrodite to help her win back Eros, to which the goddess says she must go through multiple trials of her design to win him back. Psyche goes through the trials set before her by Aphrodite, and at her completion she is granted immortality and becomes the goddess of the soul, marrying Eros. 

In order to identify an authentic antique cameo from the Victorian era there are several key details that must be identified. Authentic carved cameos are made from natural materials, such as shells, agate, onyx, ivory, coral, mother-of-pearl, or other gemstones. Due to the durability of these materials compared to plastic or resin used in fake reproductions, authentic cameos should have no visible cracks. Authentic cameos are also less likely to shine under light, having a more matte finish due to its material. Cameo carvers from the Victorian era paid extremely close attention to the details of their work, so authentic cameos will likely always have many details, especially in the hair or dress. Cameos made in the Victorian era typically have a straight nose, mimicking popular beauty standards of the time. Cameos made prior to 1860 typically are carved with a more "Roman", stronger nose. Portrait cameos with a smaller, button nose are more likely reproductions made in the 21st century. On authentic, hand-carved cameos marks from the professional carvers can sometimes be seen under a magnifying class, as imperfections are a great sign of being carved by human hands instead of being molded from plastic or resin.

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Authentic Victorian Unmounted Cameo Greek Goddess Psyche Portrait - Antique 1800s Psyche Butterfly Wings Shell Cameo