Adam and Eve
Cameo
ca. 1580 (made)
ca. 1580 (made)
| Place of origin |
Shell cameos are much easier to cut than those made from gemstones. Also, the raw material is cheaper and easier to acquire. They were popular in the 16th century and then again in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the passion for carved gemstones led to a parallel explosion in the market for cheaper shell cameos. They are still popular today. This cameo depicts Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The serpent climbing the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is central to the scene. The composition is loosely based on an engraving by Albrecht Dürer.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Adam and Eve (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Carved shell (Spondylus) |
| Brief description | Shell cameo of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden by the Tree of Knowledge, German or French, c. 1580 |
| Credit line | Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh FSA |
| Object history | Given by Dr W.L Hildburgh, F.S.A. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | Shell cameos are much easier to cut than those made from gemstones. Also, the raw material is cheaper and easier to acquire. They were popular in the 16th century and then again in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the passion for carved gemstones led to a parallel explosion in the market for cheaper shell cameos. They are still popular today. This cameo depicts Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The serpent climbing the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is central to the scene. The composition is loosely based on an engraving by Albrecht Dürer. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.17-1937 |
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| Record created | January 12, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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