Featured CAMEOS: Show & Tell or Ask & Answer

They may be glass, they sure look like it.. but, in this case, it's nothing natural about them and the auction is in the $300 range (for now).. I didn't know they are so looked after..

Thank you everybody for all your help !

 

Well @Bronwen will likely have the story on the why the monies.

 

"Natural material' means they hope it is turquoise, although aren't confident enough to out & out assert it, but are hoping bidders will make the assumption. If bidding is breaking 300 AUD (which is 200+ USD) sounds as though at least two people have taken the bait. Both look like glass to me, not even reconstituted turquoise.

The larger one on the left is a bacchante/maenad, one of the female followers of the wine god Bacchus/Dionysus. They are not themselves goddesses. The one on the right just looks like a pretty lady from here, but can't see her well.

 

This is a sweet piece. The cameo looks like a Wedgwood-type of jasper ware pottery, and the description of it as 'paste' would refer to the pâte-sur-pâte technique of decorating porcelain.

The design, like so many, is taken from one by Thorvaldsen, Diana loosing the unerring arrow that kills Orion:

https://www.thorvaldsensmuseum.dk/en/collections/work/A462



Certain formulations of glass are also referred to as paste, and the turquoise colored cameos may qualify as paste in this sense:

https://www.britannica.com/art/paste-jewelry

 

Because people can be seduced by pretty things?

 

Somewhat enlargeable version of the photo on this page:
https://www.lawsons.com.au/asp/fullCatalogue.asp?salelot=8721+++++539+&refno=31511434&saletype=P

 

How do you know me ?

 

Jewellery with seed pearls & tiny turquoise cabochons was very popular in the Georgian period, but this feels newer than that.

 

By knowing myself.

 

Yep, that's the one. Thanks, guys. Very useful. Now to see what it goes for.

 

I did a bit of googling and found a very similar cameo, same colour, same subject, which was described I think [haven't got the reference to hand] as Victorian, made in Germany. Make any sense?

 

Incidentally, sold for AU$150 including commission.

 

Seems like a fair price to me. Cameo prices have been all over the place, leading many sellers to have an exaggerated idea of the value of their perfectly mediocre cameo brooch.

 

It would make more sense to me if it were French. Would be interested to see, if you can find it again.

 

This is a much more interesting piece:



And correctly described:

UNUSUAL ANTIQUE ITALIAN SILVER GILT TURQUOISE MOLDED GLASS CAMEO BROOCH ATHENA

But highly priced anyway: US $425.00

 

The more I look at this, the more it looks to me like a modern ultrasonically cut hardstone cameo. The way there is a haze of white remaining at the edges is typical.



Wish auctioneer had shown the back, so we could have a better idea of the age of the mount. It did not quite make the lower end of its estimate range, so bidders did not take it at face value on age & materials.

 

Just for comparison:

 

"Natural plastic" is more likely than natural turquoise in this case. The "paste" one could be pate sur pate glass; until Bronwen put up that second shot I couldn't see it too well. The setting has greenies - a second vote for glass.

I ran across this poor soul identified as Bonaparte; I wonder how Old Hooky would feel about it! (LOL) It's actually Wellington! I messaged the seller, but the name hasn't changed.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-CA...UNTED-33-X-43-MM-3-11-17-SYBOLL-/183742045507

 

Ha!

 

Have never found this seller very communicative/responsive; maybe seller name is a clue. But it's OK, I have that cameo on my Pinterest board for cameo portraits of men, correctly IDed:

https://www.pinterest.com/cameotimescom/cameo-portraits-of-victorian-gentlemen/

It'll live on forever.