Featured Is this an Intaglio??

Hey Joolies...

Here is another mystery piece to me.. i think this what you call an Intaglio?

I just know that this is an old piece, but not sure how old or where it's from.. definitely not Sri Lankan/Asian.

It doesn't feel like it's made from glass either..
Size: 13mm X 10mm

Would like your thoughts on this...

 

It looks like glass with an opalescent effect, very nicely made. @Bronwen will probably know.

It is a representation of the Catholic saint Anthony with the baby Jesus.

 

Looks like Mercury glass.

 

Thank you Any Jewelry, Yes it looks like glass.. but doesn't feel heavy like glass..

I wasn't certain about the representation either... now i know..

 

Reverse molded and painted....something. Possibly lucite or other acrylic. These are generally set in a goldtone oval of some sort.

 

On a cameo the subject rises above the surface that makes the background. An intaglio is engraved or impressed so that the subject is below the surface. I often have difficulty deciphering depth in photos. In the 5th photo, with St. Anthony (AJ is spot on) facing our right, it looks like an intaglio to me. My first impression of the ones with Anthony facing our left was that it is a cameo, but guessing now that when he faces left, the top is flat? In that case, the piece is either an intaglio or 'reverse carved', depending on the orientation. Someone setting it could choose how to present it. 'Carved' not to be taken literally here, since the piece is molded.

I thought it looked like glass too, but you say it's too light, really leaving only hard plastic as an alternative. Compared to plastic, glass, when first picked up, will feel cooler to the touch, & it will make a brighter sound when tapped with a fingernail, clinked against the teeth or gently knocked against another piece of glass. You may be overestimating what a piece of glass this size would weigh. See by comparison with the penny that it is ring-sized, so really could be quite light. I have stone intaglios not much smaller that feel in the hand as though they weigh almost nothing.

The depiction is a little unusual & I think especially charming. More typical is for the infant to be laying his head against the saint's chest or the two to be embracing cheek to cheek. Sometimes the babe sits facing outward. From what I can see here, appears the two are looking into each other's eyes in a very tender way. Nice piece!

 

In looking for anything comparable, did find this medallion on Pinterest which is described as being French. The French do beautiful things with glass; maybe @kyratango will also have some thoughts/observations to share.

 

Thanks all for the info. @Bronwen Yes the top is flat and the bottom is carved in to. So must be a reversed carved glass intaglio. Yeah I think I overestimated the weight of the glass, it does make a bright sound when tapped against another glass or fingernail. Yes the depiction in the medallion looks similar

 

You are very welcome.

Am I correct that the intaglio side, the side with the figures below the surface, has a raised rim around it? If so, this is the side that was meant to face outward when the piece was set. The edges of the scene are a bit distorted when the piece is flipped over into the reverse carved orientation, with the flat side facing front. The image is nice & crisp in intaglio.

 

Bronwen, your image shows the same depiction of St Anthony and baby Jesus!
I'm pretty sure Kavinda's piece is glass, not plastic
But not a carving there, either pressed or molded decor wich usually is reverse painted.
Never seen a religious one, mainly dogs, sports subjects.

 

That is Essex glass, you're right, mostly dogs and (horse) sports. I think Kavinda's is a similar technique, but not Essex.
In this thread is more Essex glass:
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/sterling-enamel-glass-foxhunting-cuff-links.19361/#post-263518
The st Anthony Bronwen posted has a similar posture of Anthony and Jesus, but is slightly different, if you compare Jesus' halos. Maybe both of them are based on a painting.

 

Yes you are correct that's exactly how it is.. Front is domed and the reverse is carved/molded with paint or something that has an opalescent effect.

 

Ah, I see now. The overall shape is a cabochon, so of course the domed side is meant to face out when set. In gems from antiquity this shape is called 'scaraboid'. What will you do with it?

 

I see a lot of wrangling over the correct use of these terms, but in general the word 'halo' would be used for the indication of heavenly light/radiance around the figures on the intaglio, while this feature on the figures on the medal would probably be described as a nimbus. I can see a technical consideration that would lead the engraver of an intaglio to switch to the halo, which reads more clearly. They might have done a nimbus using frosted glass to separate it from the outline of the heads. Otherwise think they would come across as 2 big bulbous heads.

 

Me too. The way it catches light just isn't like my experience of plastic. Possible it is not just glass but crystal.

 

I have not thought about it. I guess it suits more to be set as a pendant..

 

It looks very much like mercury backed buttons or sulphide buttons
Could also be a reverse painted, but I'm leaning toward the mercury backing.

 

I thought I would be too much of a theologian if I used the word nimbus.
In Dutch we use nimbus (cloud) for radiance around either the entire body or just the head of a person considered sacred, 'aureool' (from aureola) if it is just around the head, or the disc shape around the head. Halo is only used in meteorological terms.
Mandorla is used the same as in English, an almond shaped radiance around the entire person.
The Jesus figures have both the disc shape and the radiation, wouldn't you use either or both words in English?

 

Suspect most people I know are only familiar with the word 'halo' & would apply it to any type of representation of radiance. They might say something like, He has rays coming out of him, to describe any of the other forms. My primary interest in cameos has been learning to identify figures & scenes, so symbolism comes into it a lot, including for religious subjects, & have had to delve into these fine distinctions. I know a martyr when I see one.

Jack didn't jump high enough going over that candlestick, so Jack be nimbus...