French gold School of Blois miniature pendant watch Circa 1640-1650

Gold and enamel miniature verge watch by François Berger
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An extremely rare French gold and enamel School of Blois miniature pendant watch, Venus, Bacchus & Ceres, circa 1640-1650. Very fine early verge movement, vase pillars, two-armed balance without hairspring, foliot, gut string. White enamel dial with Roman hours and iron hand. Completely enamelled case, the front and back with elaborate, very detailed mythological scenes, lateral four cartouches with landscape paintings, the inside also with two paintings depicting a castle and village view. Movement signed.
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Diameter: 33 mm
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Weight: 33 g
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Signed: François Berger Paris
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School of Blois enamel watches from around 1650 with movements from this period are museum pieces. Most of these cases, which were already valued as masterpieces at that time, are today equipped with movements from the 18th century. The present watch is an original from around 1640-1650.
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Venus is the Roman goddess of love, originally the ancient Italian goddess of vegetation, and protector of gardens and vineyards. Later she was identified with the Greek Aphrodite. She was born from the foam of the sea. Venus was often depicted in Roman culture as a woman with a round object in her hand, for example, an apple or a mirror, but sometimes also with Cupid (the Roman god of love) or Victoria (the personified Roman goddess of victory) on her hand and also with a rudder or a dolphin. She was a favourite subject for many artists in antiquity too.
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Bacchus was the unrestrained Roman god of wine and revelry, religious ecstasy, and frenzied creativity. The Romans believed that Bacchus inspired his worshipers in their drunken state, freeing them to think and act in new ways.
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In ancient Roman religion, Ceres was a goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility and motherly relationships.