XVIII Century, Placchetta With Cupid And Couple Of Swans

XVIII century

Placchetta with Cupid and couple of swans 

Walnut wood, mother of pearl, horn and stone, 11.5 x 10 cm

This refined polymaterial object could, in all probability, have originally served as the lid of a small and elegant jewelry box: the precious materials used for the realization of the artifact, as well as the great technical expertise of their processing suggest that the object could be particularly valuable and executed for a client cultured, refined, and high level. In the central panel of the plaque, made of walnut wood, is represented Cupid holding a wreath of flowers in his hands: near the putto there are two swans that touch the beak: the one of the two swans placed opposite each other, As far as the Renaissance and Baroque iconography is concerned, it is an image frequently used in order to symbolize loyalty and conjugal fidelity. The presence of the character of Cupid and the two swans suggests that the artifact may have been a wedding gift: to further support this thesis is the use - among other valuable materials such as horn, country stone and walnut wood - of mother-of-pearl, which often represents purity, innocence and femininity as well as fertility, longevity and prosperity.