Featured CAMEOS: Show & Tell or Ask & Answer

Also cameos are suddenly in fashion again so they are commanding higher prices

 

Didn't know anyone but me was wearing them.

 

I just found one in an estate sale. Still need to test the setting, but it's old for certain.

 

Handsome piece. Rectangular shape also says older.

 

That is a sweetie evelyb30!

 

You are a trend setter

 

I have wondered whether my buying was a factor in the market heating up. For example, I don't think anyone was taking an interest in portraits of men until I started picking them up.

 

Butterfly effect in antiques collecting? Could be.

 

As the seller showed her:



As she is now. St. Cecilia, souvenir of the Catacombe S. Callisto, Roma.

 

She's LOVELY!!! Is that the one you were waiting for??

 

Amazing difference. So much nice detail.

 

Thank you. Yes, this is my latest acquisition.

 

I bought her in part because I just wanted to see how she would look cleaned up. She has an unusually good head/face for a fairly small piece & the hands are better than the norm.

 

What do you clean them with? If you don’t mind sharing.

 

Nice! The seller could have made a few more bucks if he/she had taken a dry toothbrush to her before listing.

 

In this case she cleaned up easily. An hour's soak in tap water with a dab of dish soap & a brushing down with a child's toothbrush.

 

Amazing difference. Thanks. I’ve got a few I’ll try that on.

 

Carlo Dolci

 

Saint Cecilia was originally buried in the catacombs of Saint Callixtus (Callisto). Her body was later moved to her church in Trastevere.

 

Cecilia was not dirty from handling; she had an applied coating meant to bring out the contrast. The coating was water soluble & came off easily. I was a bit surprised that it only took one round to bring her to where I like my cameos to look (like the cutter just finished them.) Settings I generally leave with their natural signs of age.

I have had many cameos that arrived so grungy that even after being left to soak overnight they still required one or more additional soakings with using the toothbrush in between. I do not understand how cameos get into that state.

Be sure to allow a bathed cameo to dry out completely before putting into any kind of enclosed space like a jewellery box.