Featured CAMEOS: Show & Tell or Ask & Answer

Agree on Idar-Oberstein, 1920s/30s perhaps. Seems like there was a bit of a cameo Renaissance then, post-WWI.

Signature unknown to me. Could just be initials, L.M.

 

You are always welcome to put any of the cameos I post on your boards. The cameo is based on the portrait I posted with the cameo. It was painted by Pierre Mignard. It was a well known portrait that also was engraved. The cameo is 2 inches in diameter, 3.5 inches with the frame.

 

Gosh I'm getting itchy fingers to add another cameo to my collection. It's been a while...!

 

Here are a few more that I have purchased in the last year. They are each beautiful in their own special way. I put them together in one picture so you could get an idea of size.


The Wedgwood belt buckle with handcut marcasites and deep blue enamel is 2.25 inches wide and 2.75 inches tall. I usually don't care for Wedgwood, but this one is stunning in person and very large. It dates from 1800, according to the auctioneer, who was auctioning off a large collection of Wedgwood pieces.



I bought another belt buckle (these are the only 2 in my collection) because I love the peony. I believe this is made in China, based on the characters embossed on the reverse. I think it is carved from a relative of the cowrie shell, due to the background color which is fleshy pink.




This lovely portrait cameo of a young girl was carved by Filippo Tignani in 1879. I purchased this one from the same seller as the hardstone Flora. The carving is exquistite, but unfortunately a small bit of her ear is missing. It is not noticeable, except in certain light.

 

The final one of the above group is this petite hardstone flower cameo, about 2/3 of an inch tall. The background is matte and the flower is polished.




I also purchased this one from the same eBay seller as the other 2 hardstone cameos.

 

Another that I could not resist. It is carved on labradorite, which is not a common stone for cameos. Of course, Wilhelm Schmidt was known to carve labradorite, but this cameo is unsigned. The colors are striking, especially in direct sunlight. Depending on how the cameo is canted, different parts of the cameo change color. I took these pics at 8 pm this evening outside. It is also a very thick cameo. I love it!

 

Oooh. Thanks for sharing all these pretties.

Think your little green flower would be a forget-me-not. A couple of my Hours cameos, although in conventional sardonyx, not green, also have a satin finish background layer. Guessing a distinctive practice of certain workshop(s).

Agree the amazing Chinese piece uses some type of cowrie shell. Flower looks more like a variety of poppy to me, rather than a peony, but I'm no botanist.

The labradorite: First off, special commendation for photography of a very difficult subject. It's a beautiful specimen of the mineral. The thickness would be prudent given that labradorite has 'perfect cleavage', so highly vulnerable to fracture. There's a touch of 'The Fair Circassian' to her, I think. Have seen way more pieces attributed to Schmidt than known to be by him. His real specialty seems to have been in finding the potential in iridescent stones in matrix.

Tignani was more variable in the way he signed his work than any other engraver I have encountered. Have wondered whether incisore/graveur/engraver reflects the language of the client commissioning the work. He also used Roma/Rome/Romano. If we did not know the date, she could easily be a little girl of our own time, couldn't she? Don't think I would have noticed the loss to the edge of the ear if you hadn't pointed it out.

Is the blue & white piece definitely Wedgwood? I have not seen this image of two fearful, fleeing putti before. It reminds me a bit of cameos based on the painting 'The Storm', except the figures do not look so happy. Reflections in the photos make it look as though it's under glass. Appears to have findings for a variety of uses. Maybe someone proud of her long neck & proudly held chin thought she could manage it as the clasp on a 12 strand pearl choker? (Or hiding a double chin?) Clearly it was a brooch at some time. Certainly large enough for a belt or sash buckle. I find pieces that bear signs of the preferences & remodeling efforts of previous owners fascinating.

 

It could also be a bracelet clasp. Women used to wear mesh or multi-strand bracelets with huge clasps.

 

Yes, it is under domed glass. The dirt and dust is underneath the glass, so I can't clean it. I am sure it is Wedgwood. It came from the Rubin Collection, parts (6700+) of which were recently auctioned. The description said late 18th/early 19th century.

 

I should not click through on these things because I see far too many that I want, should not buy all at once, and go cross-eyed trying to understand auction houses and UK rules all in one. Ah, the longing!

I knew I'd seen this depiction some where but couldn't place it! I just bought one that clearly used this as a base I think...will post soon.

 

Oooh can't wait for your pics after you receive him!

How on earth did your mother witness you assemble such a stunning collection of cameos over so many years and totally forget about this piece?? I guess perhaps she didn't consider it a cameo like a brooch? Meanwhile, my relations are excited to pull out mid-century hatchet face and a variety of Avon and Whiting and Davis to show me. No shade to their pieces, as of course I've got plastic and whatnot, but it would be nothing impressive such as this! How lucky!

She's lovely. Pictures don't really do justice to how even more impressive these things are in hand at their tiny size. They read differently and even more beautiful.

I would buy any of these of course. I'm most drawn to the Wedgwood for all the interesting frame detail and a different depiction than what we see now from them. Marcasites never photo right because they are such a riot of sparkle in person. I bet that one is even more impressive.

I definitely want to get a cowrie cameo someday. They have such an interesting look. I would wear the little flower all the time probably.

That little girl is so faithfully rendered and touching.

This one is so terrible you should let me have it. It would be difficult, but I would manage. It's is SO beautiful! And I can't stand imagining how stunning it must be in person with the depth of those stones. I'd probably be caught staring at it often.

 

The current regime has certainly put some impediments in the way of those of us in the US who would plunder the treasures of Europe.

• The dollar is currently worth only about 3/4 of the pound. The situation with the euro is a bit better: 1 USD = ~0.9 EUR.
• Antiques were exempt from tariffs; not anymore.
• Under the de minimis rule of the past, shipments imported into the US with a value under $800 were exempt from tariffs; not anymore.
• The tariff rate applied is based on the country of origin of an item, not on the country where it is sold. If, for example, you buy a Tignani cameo through an English auction house, it would be liable to the 20% tariff on items from the EU, not the 10% levied on items from the UK.

I am listening for the shoes to drop off my own customs centipede. In the course of about 6 update messages, the carrier informs me my package is now at the New York 'gateway' & that if any further info is required, they will attempt to get it from the shipper. Meanwhile, they have also been trying to lure me into approving delivery without requiring a signature. Fat chance on that one. Besides, can't see how this would work if they have to collect the tariff. They originally projected delivery for Tuesday, but will be very surprised if processing is that fast.

 

One of the stranger cameo offerings I have seen. New with tags, but showing signs of wear:

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-...wordalerts&utm_content=341704&utm_term=341704

 

That is.....not my favorite look. And that is quite the MSRP!

 

And, if you ever wondered what kind of cameos Mary Tyler Moore would have:

https://doyle.com/auction/lot/lot-1...05&ef=&et=&ic=False&sd=0&mc=3&pp=96&pn=1&g=1#

 

How wild. The blinging one isn't bad.

 

She's only celluloid, but I couldn't resist her.

 

She's one of the more common designs, but she comes in different colors & treatments & I agree this is a nice one. I wouldn't take any chances with getting her wet; the brown is liable to be water soluble.

 

What a nice look to this one with the brown and gold highlighting things! Other than the one little mystery I've got in this thread, I've been hesitant to pick up celluloid since it can eventually deteriorate. I store mine alone in a pierced ceramic dish to avoid any "triggers" and keep air flow going. That's probably overkill but...