Zeus, in Greek myth, fell in love with the Trojan prince Ganymede and carried him off to Olympus, often in the form of an eagle. There, Ganymede became cupbearer to the gods, serving nectar, the drink of immortality. Classical and Neoclassical artists (like Bertel Thorvaldsen's 1817 sculpture) often depicted the scene as an eagle bending over to drink from a cup held by the beautiful boy.
But here, in a silver locket made around 1880, Ganymede appears as a woman - it's an interesting Victorian interpretation of a myth rooted in male beauty and desire. Tells us a lot about nineteenth-century sensibilities, fears, and restrictions.
MATERIALS: sterling silver, glass lenses
AGE: c. 1880
CONDITION: Very good - a few small dents on the back side
SIZE: 2 5/8" length including the bale, 1 5/8" width