Featured CAMEOS: Show & Tell or Ask & Answer

If I could get in the mind of that artist, think I'd have to check myself in somewhere. Payne Whitney, perhaps.

 

She's very thin and light. Not heavy enough for bog oak or vulcanite but some form of early plastic I think.
I like collecting things that are unusual and interesting and buy bits and pieces I don't understand so I can learn from them ( from you!). The frame and back are one moulded piece so the same material.

 

I'm still thinking celluloid is likely. Do you think she's hollow?

 

It looks most like jet to me & I have often seen what I think are premade jet settings holding cameos of various materials. The first time I bought a piece of this type, with a helmet shell cameo, I wrote the seller to ask if they were really sure it was jet because it was so light & glossy in the hand, not like the heavy, smooth but not shiny, jet I knew from Native American work. It really seemed like plastic. Poor seller reassured me & I accepted, with some reservations.

I bought this bidding on line in an auction house sale. I could not examine it in person & it was listed as being Celluloid. In going over the photos, concluded it was not plastic & was surprised how little competition there was for it. Cost me as much in fees & shipping as the hammer price. Had to conclude people who bid 'from the floor' had not bothered to look at it.



Once I had it in hand, wavered in my assessment because the black mount is so light, shiny & clinks when tapped with a fingernail. But realized this cameo would not have been set in an artificial material. This firmed up my understanding of what Whitby jet is like, different from U.S. material.

This is an excellent question. Not sure it rules out other materials, but if it sounds solid, probably rules out Celluloid.

 

If you had quizzed me, I would've never identified your piece as celluloid... however, once an auctioneer put the thought in my head, I would have spent a goodly bit of time thinking, "well, maybe..."

My next question for @KSW is, "what's up with the blobby bit on the back. Looks like melted plastic to me, but could be adhesive of some sort?"

 

I like the pose looking from the back, because it's a bit unusual. At least to me...

On the other hand, the bumps on her upper back remind me of acne.

 

I thought it was slightly unusual too!

Just made me laugh out loud- yes poor lady has a skin issue.

 

Another very good question.

It's not common, but you do see it from time to time.

Uh huh.

 

I don’t know. Good point. I will have a closer look when I get home.

 

When I saw it I thought maybe it's what's left of a pin assembly, long ago broken off.

 

I believe so too. How it was attached can be informative.

 

Just inserting another example of a helmet shell cameo of a flapper, this one in a cloche hat & a stray diamond:

 

Sorry for the delay on this, just got home from work.
I've looked under a loupe and where the pin assembly was appears to be melted the same material as the frame. So possibly a hot pin assembly was pushed into it as there is a depression. So a plastic of some sort although it feels slightly fragile like Bakelite. Does celluloid or Bakelite melt?.

 

Also picked this up today. I didn't have my glasses with me but could see something on the back which turns out to be 375, a 5 point star and 305 NA whatever that means.
So for £4.50 I'm quids in even if the cameo isn't the highest quality. Sadly I've been spoilt on the quality front by seeing some of Bronwens amazing cameos.
Is this some sort of shell?
The rather nice 'gold' ring I picked up sadly said Avon rather than the hoped for 22k but you win some and lose some and it's surprisingly nice. Note to self to remember glasses!

 

From your description alone (the picture of the back where the marks should be does not "zoom in" to confirm) the 5 point star and 305 NA should be modern Italian marks from Naples. The 305 would identify the maker as number 305 on the Naples list.

https://www.925-1000.com/Fitalian_marks_01.html

 

You’ll have to trust me that the mess on the left says 375!. That's a great link. Thankyou

 

Bakelite is "thermoset" (does not melt). Celluloid is "thermoplastic" (does melt, and celluloid, not all thermoplastics, even catches fire).

I'm still thinking celluloid, but also still wondering if it feels hollow or solid?

 

I can see it in your latest post and that group is also surrounded by the correct shape for Italian marks post 1968.

 

Me too. Still think it's a forerunner of modern day 'resin'.

 

If that's a gold fineness mark, first time I have ever seen gold jewellery made of 9K.