Victorian Etruscan Revival 18K Gold & Lava Carved Cherub Bracelet

A stunning and very rare Victorian bracelet featuring a set of six carved lava cherubs playing with animals. Unlike most lava carvings of the period, these are high-relief so the figures stand out from the background with only carefully concealed thin areas of lava connecting them to the background. Worked in six different shades ranging from off-white to taupe and gray, the bracelet presents a harmonious design. One cherub is shown petting a dog, another holding a deer, a third feeding an eagle, another playing with a rabbit, and another feeding a snake. A fifth cherub sits alone near the middle, no doubt wondering what all the fuss is about animals. The carvings are set in 18K yellow gold collets enhanced with engraved foliate decoration. Upon close inspection under strong light, one can just make out incised Roman numerals indicating that the carvings were intended as a matched set. The carvings were certainly purchased in the area around Pompeii and Herculaneum in Italy, which were “must-see” destinations for Georgian and Victorian visitors on their “Grand Tour” of the Continent, and later mounted in gold in France or England. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

• Origin: Italy and France/England, ca. 1850
• Condition: excellent, all original
• Length: 7-1/4”
• Width: 1-1/4”