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 Cameo
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| Author | Topic: Cameo |
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ahwt Posts: 2334 |
posted 07-19-2008 09:59 PM
  
Below is a cameo that my wife brought some years ago when our children were still at home. She said it reminded her of our children and when I pointed out that we only had three girls she said that the remainder represented our grandchildren. Today we have four grandchildren so one must be hidden somewhere in the group. The cameo is not marked except for the word Lomon 1910 scratched on the back. This may be the name of an owner and the year that it was brought or acquired. It has blue and white enameling on what appears to be a gold surround. The cameo is 3 by 2 inches and is a little larger than most cameos. It has a little hook on the bottom of the back that must have been used to hang some other piece of jewelry. The rest of the back looks original. Any ideas as to the age, country of origin or what the figures represent would be appreciated. IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 07-20-2008 06:15 PM
That's lovely, ahwt. Just guessing here, but I would think the three maidens are the three Graces, dancing to music played by the muse Erato. Not sure who the god is--Ares/Mars, with his son Eros in his lap, maybe? Mars generally wears a helmet. I would imagine the cameo itself would be Italian (aren't most of them?), from the later part of the 19th century. But again, just guessing. The frame needn't have been made in the same place (or at the same time) as the cameo. People often brought cameos home from Italy & had them set by local jewelers. IP: Logged |
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jersey Posts: 1203 |
posted 07-20-2008 07:49 PM
Hello ahwt! From what I know about cameo's. When they are signed by the artist it is done on the inside of the Cameo like yours. I cannot read yours in the photo. You might try a search for Cameo artists about that time & yes they are usually Italian. Jersey IP: Logged |
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ahwt Posts: 2334 |
posted 07-20-2008 08:07 PM
Thanks Polly. I did a search on three graces and a similar cameo came up. The themes obviously are repeated and different artists added or subtracted figures. As nothing is marked on my wife's cameo, except the name of one of the owners, made in Italy with the frame made in any number of countries is a good quess. IP: Logged |
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ahwt Posts: 2334 |
posted 07-20-2008 09:41 PM
Thanks Jersey, I will keep searching. This area is a whole new area for me. The one I found in the site above was already sold and any details that seller knew were gone. IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 07-20-2008 09:48 PM
You know what? That other cameo is similar enough to your wife's that I suspect both could be copies of a painting or sculpture. IP: Logged |
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Paul Lemieux Posts: 1792 |
posted 07-21-2008 03:10 PM
A lovely example. It is from about 1870. The cameo is certainly Italian. The goldwork is probably Italian too. You may want to check the sides of pincatch for tiny Italian hallmarks, I have had similar gold pins marked there before. Neoclassical art is not my forte, so I cannot say if this is a copy of a specific sculpture, but cameo carvers generally dipped into the same pool of designs. So the putti, the Three Graces, etc. found on your pin are typical 19C cameo motifs. I don't know what Lomon 1910 is, I think it is just a later owner's inscription. IP: Logged |
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jersey Posts: 1203 |
posted 07-21-2008 05:36 PM
My first thought was the Italian sculptor Antonio Canova. A friend confirmed this by noting that the two best known paintings are by Raphael and Rubens & the best known sculpture is by Canova. He goes on to say that Canova made a number of drawings and also a sculpture in relief before taking on the three-dimensional piece, and made at least two copies of it before he was done. Although many copies of the sculpture and the paintings were done throughout the 19th century. He doesn't think any of them would have added all the narrative elements of your pin. He states however, that that is exactly the kind of thing that was done all the time, that is to start with a well recognized classical motif and adapt and expand on it. My only other thought is that I'm sure I seen this exact scene somewhere & it had a name, i.e., title. Maybe it was on the Forum? BTW Have you had it tested for gold content? Jersey IP: Logged |
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June Martin Forum Master Posts: 1326 |
posted 07-21-2008 09:39 PM
I think the hook at the bottom could be for either a watch or perhaps a chatelaine. The cameo may have been pinned at the waist. IP: Logged |
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ahwt Posts: 2334 |
posted 07-21-2008 10:23 PM
Thanks for all the good ideas. We have not had it tested for gold content. The results of that might pin down the country were the surround was made. I did look with a loop all around the back, but did not see any marks. There are a couple of scraches that may have been the result of previous testing. Given the ease that I found one scene similar to this one I suspect that further searching may bring up others. IP: Logged |
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Ulysses Dietz Moderator Posts: 1265 |
posted 07-25-2008 09:02 AM
Paul has it right...the frame could well have come with the piece, or the shell cameo (made from a conch shell, probably Italian, but possibly French) was imported somewhere and mounted. The scene on the cameo could be based on an ancient subject, or on later interpretations of ancient subjects, or just made up. In this necklace, bought by a Newark woman in Paris in the 1830s, you see standard images, but also two images copied from a Danish sculptor, Bertel Thorwaldsen (the Danish Michelangelo, he was called). These are the angels with cupids--Dawn and Dusk. Too bad they generally didn't put cameos into silver frames--gold or gold-filled was the rule. IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 07-25-2008 09:29 PM
I was at the Antique Jewelry & Watch Show this afternoon (thanks to Carla for the heads up in the Events & Exhibitions forum), where I saw a cameo with an identical subject, give or take a cherub or two. The same dancing graces, Thalia with a lyre, & Mars with baby Cupid in his lap. So that makes three so far, which makes me even more suspicious that it's a copy of some work of art. IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 07-25-2008 09:36 PM
PS: Wonderful necklace, Ulysses. IP: Logged |
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