Featured A Lady And Her Severed Head - A Cameo Mystery!

I HAD TO HAVE HER. Look at his ridiculous grin and staring eyeballs. Now I have a couple of mysteries maybe y'all can help me solve. Subject? Signature?



The subject: A woman with a seemingly Roman style dress with a shepherd's crook or staff holding what appears to be a jolly head. I thought he might be wearing a wig, but it appears it might be a headband over long hair.

The usual suspects: Judith and Holofernes? Salome and St John? Oracle and Orpheus?

Judith is usually shown with another woman and dressed a bit more lavishly. The image of the deed being done is usually what is seen. What of the staff?

Salome was a princess so she's usually dressed well (or not dressed at all) and John's head is usually on a platter. The staff could be his, although it's usually a sword in these images. However, John usually has a beard and a halo. I'm also questioning the woman that would show her faith with this image of the saint.

Orpheus would be a good choice for a grinning/seemingly alive head, but he's shown with his lyre. No shepherdesses in his tale that I can find, but plenty of women.

A different saint? But why no halo! Not a head, but a mask? It has eyes! Perhaps a sculpture? Some other head-like object? A bit late for the guillotine as well, unfortunately.

And who is the woman that would wear this (besides me) because it is a very bombastic, attention-getting frame.






The back is signed "Dol" at the top, "3" at the right under the needle, and "Ales" at the bottom. I re-read the cameo signatures thread and "Dol" seems to very closely match the "Dolcini" signatures there, including the one instance of him only signing with the first 3 letters. He signed with other artists, so perhaps this is an Alessini (link of 1856 listing from PepperAnna)? Dolcini's first name was Alessandro but it seems an odd way of signing one's name. Big thanks to @PepperAnna and @Bronwen for all the work they did on Dolcini's signature. I thought for sure "Dol" was a lost cause. I should have faith.

Anyone seen this image in a painting or heard a tale that fits?? Please help! I must know her!

 

Thalia, Muse of pastoral (comic) poetry, hence the shepherd's crook & mask.

 

Thalia & Melpomene (Muse of tragic poetry) from Pompeii:



Melpomene, with a dagger:



Judith:

 

Yessssss! That seems to be the answer! Thank you!! The "mask" looks so less exaggerated than I'm used to. Can't wait to try to explain to others when I'm wearing it that this cameo is really about comedy.

 

Okay now I'm going to need a Melpomene with a Sad Face and a studded club...geez she wasn't messing around!

 

Oh, thank goodness it's only a mask!
I was getting worried ......

 

Looks like she is dragging her husband home after he’s had one too many and she is Not Happy

 

Amazing cameo! I love the grinning face, and the story behind it. Learned something through @Bronwen, again!

 

Maybe it's the mask for the besotted swain, always good for a laugh.

 

My first thought, too!

 

Congratulations! I also saw this cameo and liked it, especially when I saw Alessandro Dolcini's signature on the back. Then I forgot about it (I was overseas traveling for the last 2 months) and missed it. I am glad you bought it! Check the "Cameo Signature Help Needed" thread- there is a good amount of information about him.

 

Welcome back, I hope you had a wonderful time.

 

Thank you! I had a wonderful time. I spent a month on Crete, but also went to Malta, the Netherlands and Germany. Can't wait to go back.

 

Sounds great. I didn't see you in the Netherlands.

 

I see you are in Brabant! I went Leiden specifically to see the permanent cameo exhibit at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden. Have you seen it? It is wonderful! The museum recently acquired a very important cameo collection, the Content Family Collection. I took lots of pics, but apparently my phone took them in a format that only allows for them to be uploaded as thumbnails that you need to click on, not full images. Bummer! Then I went to Bergen to visit with my cousin and her family for a couple days. I have also stayed in Sittard for a month for work, and visited Maastricht, Geleen and Geldrop (for the weaving museum). The Netherlands is a beautiful country. I hope to visit again in 2024.

 

I haven't been to Leiden for decades, but I do remember seeing cameos.

I love Bergen.

You were 10 minutes away from me. I was born in Geldrop and spent my early years there.
My uncle was one of the initiators of the weaving museum. That side of the family was always 'in textile', from the Middle Ages on. My uncle was the last textile person of the family.

 

Bummer! We could have had lunch together! Next time I will have to post where I am going. The weaving museum was awesome. Wonderful that you have such a personal connection to it. I think I spent 4 hours there. I know enough German to be able to read the signage in Dutch and there was a demonstration of the Jacquard loom, which I loved. I baffled the staff-- why would an American spend so much time there??? One of the ladies was so intrigued that she sat down with me in the cafe to ask. It was a lovely afternoon.

 

Maybe in 2024? If you still have a reason to visit Geldrop, that is.

Yes, they would have been surprised.
Geldrop is still a very friendly place, people say hello in the street even if they don't know you. It is the same where I live now, at least with the Brabanders here.

 

I re-read the entire cameo signature thread for this purpose and was delighted you had sussed out such a sparing mark! So you think the "Ales" is him signing his first name, but at the bottom for some reason? And not a separate cameo carver as on his others?

I'm glad that you had such a safe and fulfilling travel adventure! I'm extremely jealous. I will still willingly click on thumbnail images to see any pretty cameos you got pictures of, if you see fit to share.

 

Yes, I believe that the Ales is also his signature. I own a couple Dolcini cameos, which are posted in earlier threads. And they come up surprisingly often, if you know what to look for. Sometimes he only signs "Dol", but the "D" is easily identifiable.

Thank you! I will post the cameo pics from my trip in another thread. The exhibit was terrific. The cameos were unbelievably small, but the museum had a monocular at each case so that you could focus on the cameo in which you were interested. There were also lots of other cameos in other parts of the museum. If you ever get to Leiden, the museum is well worth a trip.