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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;nick1998, post: 11900892, member: 97611&quot;]Well point made! I feel like this discussion is going to be beneficial <img src="styles/default/xenforo/smilies/smile.png" class="mceSmilie" alt=":)" unselectable="on" /> For the reference of my little theory on the advance of carving tools for hardstone in the late 19th century, sadly I did not yet find material that directly dressed to this subtle matter. However, some side facts and references might help to prove it.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The foot powered lathe mentioned above is the classic method of treating hardstone since the Renaissance, as I know. Yet it takes days to work on gems and months to finish. When there was possibility to improve that, clever gem craftsman would sure adopt it. The tools being used did not suddenly jump from foot power to modern machines, and Industrial Revolution played a crucial role in it. Here’s an article that mentioned the 19th century Industrial Revolution’s influence on gem cutting:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]549864[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Here’s another article that discussed how the invention of Steam-powered lathe influenced gemcraft as early as 1860s:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]549865[/ATTACH] </p><p>[ATTACH=full]549866[/ATTACH] </p><p>Besides, the scoring difference appears on the two cameos above is universal, not solely example. There’s a trend of style shifting observed widely in works from the late 19th century. Although the reasons above might partly contribute to the change, like lack of time, preference of artisan, they do not necessarily contradicts the theory of new tools being adopted, or to say, they might work together to explain. It is because the rising demand of cameos, thanks to the flourishing of wealthy and middle class in that era brought by Industrial Revolution, that people searched for cameo souvenirs and jewelry. Workshops chose to adopt machine powered lathe to advance the production and save time cost. Some high end workshops might refuse to follow and regard it as inferior in terms of craftsmanship, but the market trend always triumphs human will. By as around 80s to 90s the new method probably dominated the middle and lower cameo markets.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Secondly, the matter of the use of drills. That’s a sharp observation! I too noticed the phenomenon in my journey of collection. However, I would like to disagree with conclusions about connecting the feature to solely later 19th/early 20th century. The use of drills is fundamental since the start of cameo engraving as early as ancient Hellenistic period. Yet the most common use of drill holes on a cameo like that is often at the end of hair curls to form a tiny twist, as this ancient cameo in the collection of National Archeological Museum of Naples shows in the curly of Hercules:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]549867[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>However, although the use of drill to deepen and round out curls is scarcely observed, it is not absolutely absent. Here an ancient Medusa cameo, in the collection of The National Hermitage Museum, shows similar feature in her curls:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]549868[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>When talking about 18th-19th century cameos, although not as common as second half of 19th century, the feature of drilling out curls still persists. Here’s another Medusa, which probably dates to late 18th to early 19th, in the Guy Ladriere collection and his publication, labeled Pichler, shows the same feature of curls drilled out:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]549869[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>This work signed by Elena Pistrucci, probably around 1850, although drills not as heavily used, can still see the curls developed from a hole being drilled out:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]549870[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>And this cameo, in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum and its publications, credit to Luigi Saulini and circa dates 60s-70s, heavily used the technique of deepen and round out curls with drilled holes in the degree of comparable to the maenad lady of mine: </p><p>[ATTACH=full]549871[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>The circa dating around 1870s to me seems a reasonable consensus, but perhaps not likely to be pushed later than that in my opinion. The credit to Antonio Verge is more like a well-meaning joke I made. I do have great interest in deciphering this mystery author who remains in obscure for background information, but no I would not become a blind chasing vain fame <img src="styles/default/xenforo/smilies/smile.png" class="mceSmilie" alt=":)" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Here’re the references to the two articles above:</p><p><br /></p><p>1.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://leondiamond.com/blogs/diamonds/history-of-gem-cutting?srsltid=AfmBOoprj98O4hStaae_9rSJXW4FwRMyxKzwzbrRuAN6ZKeQdH9weLUd" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://leondiamond.com/blogs/diamonds/history-of-gem-cutting?srsltid=AfmBOoprj98O4hStaae_9rSJXW4FwRMyxKzwzbrRuAN6ZKeQdH9weLUd" rel="nofollow">https://leondiamond.com/blogs/diamonds/history-of-gem-cutting?srsltid=AfmBOoprj98O4hStaae_9rSJXW4FwRMyxKzwzbrRuAN6ZKeQdH9weLUd</a></p><p><br /></p><p>2.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://thenorthwaystudio.com/blogs/news/cut-by-time-a-history-of-gemstone-shapes-technology-and-jewelry-trends?srsltid=AfmBOopGGe1qcvTHR9g5kMbC1wEdUkPer54kKH8Bfqbep_smnPjVqu7i" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://thenorthwaystudio.com/blogs/news/cut-by-time-a-history-of-gemstone-shapes-technology-and-jewelry-trends?srsltid=AfmBOopGGe1qcvTHR9g5kMbC1wEdUkPer54kKH8Bfqbep_smnPjVqu7i" rel="nofollow">https://thenorthwaystudio.com/blogs/news/cut-by-time-a-history-of-gemstone-shapes-technology-and-jewelry-trends?srsltid=AfmBOopGGe1qcvTHR9g5kMbC1wEdUkPer54kKH8Bfqbep_smnPjVqu7i</a>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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