Venus and AdonisUnsigned

Venus and AdonisUnsigned, Geneva, enamel possibly by Pierre Huaud I, circa 1660. Very fine and rare 18 ct. gold and enamel single-hand lady's pendant watch. 27.5 mm o, hinged, gilt brass full plate, turned baluster pillars, fusee and gut line for the going train, verge escapement, two-arm steel circular foliot, elongated cock pierced and engraved and secured by a screw, ratchet wheel and click set-up covered by a pierced and engraved cock.Diam. 33 mm. Published in the Sandberg book, pages 86-87. Notes Pierre Huaud IFor a biography see Huaud frères, page 34.Venus and AdonisAccording to the legend, Adonis was born from an incestuous union between Myrrha and his father Cinyras, King of Paphos in Cyprus (or possibly Belos, King of Egypt, or even Theias, King of Assyria). The gods transformed Myrrha into the myrrh-tree and in due course Adonis was born from the tree when the trunk was split open by a wild boar. Venus (or Aphrodite) was struck by the beauty of the child Adonis and put him in the care of Persephone (or Proserpine), the queen of the underworld. But Persehone too loved the youth and refused to give him back to Venus. Jupiter (or Zeus) had to pass judgment to resolve the question between the two goddesses. There are two versions of this judgment: in the first, Adonis was to spend a third of the year with each goddess while the rest of the time as he preferred and chose to spend that time with Venus; in the other version, the judgment was made by the Muse Calliope