Cupid & Psyche Jewlery

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The ancient myth of Psyche and Cupid is an enduring tale of love and trust, and has been a popular motif in painting, sculpture, and jewelry for thousands of years. Psyche and Cupid is one my my favorite themes in jewelry, and I'd like to show off a few pieces we've found.

Psyche was the youngest and most beautiful daughter of the rulers of an unnamed city in ancient Greece. Her beauty was so great that the citizens of the city began to worship Psyche instead of (properly) worshiping Venus (Aphrodite), the goddess of love and beauty. Venus was offended that a mortal woman has usurped her rightful devotees and sent her son Cupid (Eros), the god of desire, to work her revenge. Venus ordered Cupid to shoot Psyche with one of his arrows and force her to fall in love with the most hideous monster he can find. When Cupid saw Psyche, he dropped the arrow meant for her and scratched himself instead, falling deeply and passionately in love with the beautiful young woman.

Although Psyche was the most beautiful mortal woman in the world, her noble
parents were unable to find anyone to marry her. Fearful that their family had incurred the displeasure of the gods, the king and queen consulted an oracle and were told that Psyche had been fated to marry a monster. She was to be taken to the top of a mountain and left there to meet her fate.

The West Wind spirited Psyche away to a beautiful palace with invisible servants. Every night, her husband visted her in the darkness and warned her that she must never try to see him. Although her invisible husband was kind, Psyche grew homesick. She persuaded her husband to allow her sisters to visit and lift her spirits. When her sisters arrived, however, they were overcome with jealousy. When the sisters learned Psyche had been warned never to try to see her invisible husband, they persuaded her that her husband must be a horrific monster. The sisters gave Psyche a candle and a knife, telling her that she must kill her husband before he killed her.

Psyche's invisible husband came to visit her in the night as usual. When he fell asleep, she took up the candle and knife. To her shock, the light revealed the most beautiful young man she had ever seen: Cupid. In her surprise, Psyche dripped hot wax on Cupid's shoulder, awakening him. Cupid immediately fled the opulent palace and his confused, despairing wife.

Psyche wandered the countryside looking for her husband, finally seeking out the help of Venus in desperation. Venus set many trials and tribulations for Psyche to endure, but Psyche's kind heart and gentle nature invariably led her to find help to pass each trial successfully. When Cupid heard that his wife was in the power of his spiteful mother, he appealed to Venus to stop her persecution. At long last, the pair were reunited and Psyche was anointed a goddess in her own right. And they lived happily ever after.

Psyche is almost always depicted with butterfly wings, although wings are never actually mentioned in the myth. Many of the cameos that depict Psyche will show her with butterfly wings in her hair, or with butterflies surrounding her. The butterfly symbolizes the soul in many mythologies, and is a key part in Psyche's symbolic tradition.

The story of Cupid and Psyche is a wonderful myth. On its surface, it is a story of love that begins in mistrust and yet eventually conquers any number of difficulties. It can also be read as an allegory for the soul, its struggles and resurrection. It's a wonderful motif for jewelry: depicting female and male beauty, with a deeper meaning for those who look for it.

We have seen several beautiful pieces of antique jewelry with the Cupid and Psyche theme. One of my current favorites is this Victorian era bracelet with a small medallion depicting butterfly-winged Psyche holding a lyre (one of Cupid's attributes).

To see more antique jewelry, check out our store.

Battle Relics from the Spanish-American War

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On this day, April 23rd 1898, Spain declared war on the United States of America. Tensions had been running high between the two countries, largely due to American's meddling during the Cuban War of Independence. "Yellow journalism" from two of the biggest names in American journalism, Joseph Pulitzer and William Hearst, whipped up public opinion to a fever pitch which was only heightened by the mysterious explosion and sinking of the USS Maine on February 15, 1898.

Political pressure and public opinion pushed President McKinley into a war with Spain he had hoped to avoid, and the US Navy began a blockade of Cuba on April 21st 1898. Spain declared war on April 23rd. On April 25th, United States Congress declared that the war had begun April 21st with the Cuban blockade. This began the ten week war which was fought mainly in the Pacific and Caribbean.

We often come across interesting pieces of historical memorabilia from the Spanish-American War. Public opinion was strongly in favor of the war and approximately 125,000 soldiers from across the nation volunteered to fight.

This flag remnant is a particularly interesting piece of Spanish-American War memorabilia that came to us from an upstate New York estate. This battle flag fragment flew over the USS Brooklyn, a United States Navy armored cruiser. The USS Brooklyn was launched in 1895 and then became the flagship of the Flying Squadron under Commodore W. S. Schley on 28 March 1898. The cruiser was a key vessel in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba on July 3, 1898, a decisive battle in the American victory over the Spanish Fleet. This flag fragment is framed under glass with a hand written note reading: A piece of the battle flag of the Brooklyn which flew [.....] Maine on July 3, 1898.. (We are unclear as to the reason for the mention of the USS Maine on the tag.) The tag is printed with the name "Lieutenant Rush, and U.S.S. Brooklyn". A previous owner framed the flag under glass and attached a printed version of the "Star-Spangled Banner" to the back.

The Spanish-American War helped define a new American identity: a nation that had recovered from the scars of the Civil War to take a prosperous and influential role on the international stage. The general popularity of the war influenced politics, the public's opinion on American imperialism, and diplomacy for years to come. Theodore Roosevelt returned from the Spanish-American War as a nationally known hero and this acclaim quickly acted to project him to office as Governor of New York, and then as Vice President of the United States. Roosevelt was a very visible and very popular figure from the war; he helped form the famous Rough Riders, a combination of wealthy Easterners and Western cowboys. His high profile acts of courage made him a popular figure in the headlines; stereoviews like the one above depicted Theodore Roosevelt upon his return from the Spanish-American War were immensely popular.

You never know what you're going to find at an estate, and stumbling across these unique pieces of military history is very exciting. Take a closer look at the Spanish-American War USS Brooklyn battle flag remnant, or check out all of our new estate finds by visiting our store.

Hand Painted Porcelain from the Pickard China Co

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When it comes to decorating a home, adding antique pieces add a rich, layered sense of beauty (and history!). Now that spring is here, flowers and flower arrangements are definitely on my mind. Florals for spring may be a cliche, but I like to think of them as timeless instead. A beautiful floral-patterned vase can bring the feeling of spring to your home year-round. We have a few fantastic examples of fine quality hand painted floral decorated porcelain from Pickard that I wanted to show off this week.

Pickard China was founded by Wilder Pickard in Wisconsin in 1893, and soon moved in Chicago in 1897. Pickard began by offering hand painted art pieces, tea sets, and dessert sets. Pickard hired both male and female artists (many from the nearby Art Institute of Chicago, and many noted European painters) who created one-of-a-kind pieces. These early pieces of Pickard porcelain were painted on blanks imported from notable European makers.

The above vase was decorated by the German-born master painter Paul Gasper, an artist who worked for Pickard in the early 1900s. Gasper is known for his daisy motifs, which is featured on this vase along with vibrant red and pink poinsettias. The vase is accented with the artist's trademark gilded details and finished with a beautiful ruffled rim with a wide gilded border. Signed for Gasper as pictured.The blank vase was made by the Oscar & Edgar Gutherz (O. & E.G.) Royal Austria Factory.

Pickard China has been called a uniquely American style of hand painted china. One of the most sought after artists working at Pickard was M. Rost LeRoy, who painted for Pickard between 1898 and 1905. LeRoy left Pickard to join the Donath Studio which was founded by another ex-Pickard artist. This elegant pitcher at the right is a striking example of LeRoy's work: the tall form is extensively gilded and features a vivid scene of ripe cherries on the branch. The porcelain blank came from Limoges, France. The pitcher has an unusual Pickard hallmark which is infrequently found.

Because Pickard purchased its blanks from porcelain factories, antique Pickard pieces will usually have two maker's marks on the bottom: the porcelain factory's trademark, and Pickard's trademark that was applied upon decoration. Pickard remained a decorating studio only until the 1930s when they began producing their own line of porcelain blanks to be painted. Antique pieces of Pickard decorated porcelain can be difficult to find in excellent condition in large sizes like this vase and pitcher.

You can find more porcelain in the Nine Caroline Antiques store here.

Or explore all of the categories of fine antiques and collectibles at Nine Caroline Antiques.