Featured CAMEOS: Show & Tell or Ask & Answer

Hi all, I saw this on a Facebook thread. This cameo seems to have four or five faces. Is there a name for this?

 

Gryllus/gryllos. But I think this was probably inspired by images of Queen Omphale wearing the lion skin of Hercules/Heracles & that any other faces are illusions created by the ripples in the mane.

 

There is also a touch of Athena wearing a silenus-faced helmet.

 

Not mine, unfortunately, and only one photo. Out of my price range at nearly $10K but gorgeous! Who is she?

 

Gorgeous! Gotta run just now. Will opine later.

 

She's just exquisite. I don't think I've seen the like executed in shell before. Given the flower in front of her, I think she has to be seen as allegorical for Sleep/Hypnos or Night/Nyx. At first the fringe the cutter put on her garments made me see her as wearing an animal skin & I thought she looked like a maenad, weary from the revels, but further examination led elsewhere. Here she is with a bit more contrast:



Always so hard to believe a piece like this is not signed (is it?) My feeling is that it has to be French. The way the artist has chosen not to have the carving go all the way to the edge on the right is very interesting & more like something you see on pieces from the Noto era, although I think this is much earlier. I love her ear.

These cannetille settings are usually high quality gold. Anyone know where & when they were typically made?

Would you mind sharing where you found her?

 

Only one photo and the listing title used as a one-line description, "Antique Large Shell Filigree Gold Cameo Lady Brooch".
Odd that someone would list something at that price with no other photos or info.
Antique Large Shell Filigree Gold Cameo Lady Brooch | eBay

Thank you so much for your comments, Bronwen!

 

And the photo shows the cameo on its end so the carving is sideways. Hmmm

 

Seller has a number of cameos, but seems to know absolutely nothing about them. I suspect not even that not all of them go with the long axis of the oval vertically placed. There is little or no description with things beyond the title, for nearly 2,000 listings. Have only just begun to look through them, but this has already caught my eye:

Early Angel Cameo Antique Gold Ring

Georgian 'collector's' setting with a cameo of Medusa that may well be Imperial Roman. No karatage of the gold; no size for the ring. Is there an emoji for shakes head in bafflement? Not surprised this seller is in NYC.

 

Takes offers.

 

This seller is dreaming with their prices!!!!!!!

 

I didn't check their recent sales history, but I bet most of the time they take undisclosed offers.

 

I contacted the seller and asked for a picture of the cameo back, as I was wondering if it was signed. The seller said nothing was written on the back and didn't send a picture.

 

I came across this cameo on Ebay. Doesn't the lion look like Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion? And there is a T. rex-- his baby arms didn't make it into the cameo.

 

LOL. Who is this meant to be? I associate a winged lion with St. Mark, & a lion companion in the wilderness with St. Jerome, but the youthfulness of the figure is more consistent with St. John the Evangelist.

 

Because they still sell? This one really doesn't begin to touch laughably poor.

 

Urania needs a wonder bra.