Featured CAMEOS: Show & Tell or Ask & Answer

Any relation to Pirate Queen Ann Bonny?

 

Yes, Blue Ribbon Rarities (Numismatics). I have dealt with them and their listings before. I think they are using AI to write their listings now. They have been buying a serious number of cameos from a single seller who lives in NYC.

 

GOOD ONE!!!

 

I bought an auction lot of 15 cameos a while back. There are a few from the lot that this group would find interesting.

Here is one of three that look to be 16-17th century. Gerhard Schmidt examined them and agrees on the age (unless they are very convincing fakes).

This one is my favorite of the bunch. I believe it to be Zephyrus, the west wind, based on the butterfly wings in his luxurious hair. I found multiple paintings and engravings showing Zephyrus with butterfly wings, but most of the time Zephyrus is a young man (no beard). I have found a couple of engravings showing just the head of Zephyrus blowing and with his beard. I continue to search for more evidence to confirm his identity. The cameo is small-about 3/4 inch tall and is in a lovely translucent agate. I am going to have it set as a ring. Unfortunately. One of his wings is chipped.

Thoughts on the cameo subject's identity?

 

Hypnos.

 

I'm in no position to argue with Gerhard Schmidt, but the stone looks to me to be the speckled agate that seems to have been popular at the turn of the 19th century, Over the years I have developed the impression that there was a lot of activity in that period trying to supply the great demand for antique engraved gems. I think this one of mine is Georgian meant to look earlier: