Featured CAMEOS: Show & Tell or Ask & Answer

@bluumz & everyone else:



The way the head/face were done makes me think fairly early.

 

Hi -- any insight on this cameo? It belonged to my mother-in-law from the Netherlands.
I've promised to give it to my niece... family heirloom, trying to find pictures of family members so can tell how far it goes back.

Thanks
Cheryl

 

Hand cut helmet shell, Venus & Cupid, would say 20th century, pre-WWII. A photo of the back may help pin down age a bit more; hinges & clasps can be highly informative. Welcome. Cheryl LBJ.

 

Beautiful cameo, @Cheryl LBJ !

 

Love the little boarder, adds a delicateness to it!

 

Here’s the locket I’ve posted in the Finds thread:
The crack is unfortunately all the way across and in the shell. The locket was sold as gilt. The entire center spins in the setting and the glass looks to be original in the frame that pops out. I’ve removed the bit of paper the seller added. I think I’ve seen that same scratch signature in another part of this forum. Ringing any bells for anyone?

 

It's the 'Silz' variant (my term) of the signature of a prolific 19th century Parisian cameo cutter @Jivvy worked out is Charles Schmoll. The family had a shop selling various arty merchandise. I'm convinced he gave away a cameo with every purchase over 5 sous. These bacchantes must have been a hit because he did them repeatedly.

 

That’s two for me then, that I have from Mr. Schmoll!

 

I save photos of signed cameos & have far more Schmolls than any other. Think he signed everything he ever did & must have been whittling away continuously.

 

I’m seeing this cameo in pink looking plastic on a picture I can’t copy from redbubble website. They are describing it as an antique cameo. Just a heads up.

https://www.redbubble.com/people/bu...aint-george-and-dragon-pink-red-burgundy-hues

 

Unusual for sure!

 

I saw Redbubble sells cases for phone, the pic on their site is a case in burgundy pink plastic with an image of this fantastic ivory carving!

 

It's cool, but definitely plastic. I'm seeing Brownwyn googling Redbubble.

 

From what I can tell, 'BulganLumini' claims only to have made the picture, not the cameo, & that the pink color is part of the manipulation that was done to the image. Where did your photo come from?

It's a fabulous St. G, but from the one photo I'm not convinced it is ivory. Those striations on the background are not the growth pattern of any type of ivory I'm familiar with, & the way they run down so continuously, top to bottom says to me that at the least it was made in 2 pieces.

You're right, I had to look it up, although had some sense of what it is from the one listing. Wonder if this one's a big seller.

 

Yes, BulganLumini is an editor, they used a pic of an actual cameo to print on different objects

The striations on the background of St Georges are carved to give texture, not lines as on French ivorine, I strongly think genuine ivory from what I see! This piece must be identifiable somewhere?

 

It came through on a Pinterest email and I’ve tracked it down to a site antiquecameos.net. Lovely pieces on her (Giovanna's) site.
The original is ivory, it did look to me that pink plastic ones could be for sale as an antique.

 

I defer. Carver just took as much care with those striations as with the figures. If the piece is/was Giovanna Di Rosa's, I have no doubt of its authenticity. BulgLimini liked it too.

 

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I like this one much better:



Re: the one you posted... how early is "early" and what about the face indicates this?

 

Oh, that one is just luscious. Has the auction ended yet? Would be interested to know what it tops out at.

It's the way the face could just as well be that of an adult; there's nothing childish about the proportions or features.

In this case 'early' is not super early - I've seen no evidence that helmet shell was used as a medium any earlier than the 19th century - but late Georgian - early Victorian.

 

did not realize pictures so out of focus.. can try again tonite ;-) Curious to hear if the back tells you anything. Thanks