A cameo is a material that is carved with a raised relief that often depicts a profile of a face or a mythical scene. Cameos are commonly made out of shell, coral, stone, lava, or glass. Cameo jewelry has varying quality factors including the intricacy of the carving to the quality of the setting.
This cameo brooch is carved into shell and features the goddess of the moon, Selene. The ring, also carved from shell features the profile of Persephone, the goddess of vegetation, wife of Hades, ruler of the Underworld. Both pieces are mid-Victorian and are set in ornate eighteen carat gold settings. The brooch is deliberately surrounded in black because it is a mourning brooch.
The brooch has its provenance with it. Engraved on the back is “Hannah Lund Obt (died) August 2nd 1861 AD (aged 33).” Hannah Landless was born in Little Marsden in Lancashire around 1827 to parents William Landless (engineer) and Margaret nee McGruther. She was baptised on the first of April 1827. She married Thomas Lund at Burnley, Lancashire, in 1856. At the time of her death, she lived in Well Close Square, Berwick, Northumberland. She lived with her husband Thomas (26) and children Arthur (4), Thomas (2) and Hannah (1). Thomas did remarry, as was common of widowers with young children. He married Margaret Dickson Macintosh in 1865. They had four more children together. By 1871, Margaret was a widow at 37. Although the other children could not be traced due to their common names, Arthur served in the Royal Navy.
This year the FFF+ Group have decided to have a weekly challenge called “Snap Happy”. A different theme chosen by a member of the group each week, and the image is to be posted on the Monday of the week.
This week the theme, “pair” was chosen by Beverley, BlueberryAsh.
Although not related, or even made by the same makers or in the same year, I think this brooch and ring make a fine pair.