12K Gold Plate Victorian Pinchbeck Shell Cameo Brooch Pax w Horses of Mars

Impressively large antique Victorian Pinchbeck carved shell cameo brooch / pendant. Condition: the frame has some damage spot on the top and bottom areas of the frame. The cameo box is not believed to be the original box. This could be the information about the cameo carving..

Motif of the Genius of Peace, a naked youth with wings and flowing hair, taming the horses of Mars. Holding the reins of the war god's steeds, he is poised to set them free. Mars' armour, helmet, shield, and torch have been cast aside on the ground, while the Genius of Peace stands proudly and confidently above them.

The war god himself, Mars, is notably absent. His instruments of war have been taken from him: he has been stripped of his weapons, his armour, and even his war chariot, which has brought so much suffering and destruction to the world. The finely detailed carving of the cameo follows the composition of a painting by the French artist Bénigne Gagneraux.