Featured CAMEOS: Show & Tell or Ask & Answer

I have nothing at all against glass cameos. Some are quite beautiful. These may actually be what James Tassie called 'enamel', a very hard white glass paste that he helped develop. They are so crisp, have to think they are not far from the originals, perhaps made using Tassie's molds.

 

Hahaaa he does have a fine face and I do like a guy with long hair.

She meant just one cabinet.

Aah sorry lol. I went for narrative and not declarative.

Oh no that's so awkward about the seller! Now having one, I can totally see how the signature can be overlooked if you don't look for it. They are maddeningly small, even on such large pieces! This one is only a bit smaller than 3". But once you photograph it, if you catch it right, I do wonder how it could be missed. I was concerned the seller would cancel the sale after showing me the close-ups. They were very kind though. Even sent me a 14k gold charm as a gift in addition to my purchase, after we had a nice conversation about how nice this cameo was.

The total price of this was at my self-imposed limit for a cameo purchase, which is well below typical asking price on Saulini. However, it also included 2 other 14k cameos who would sell for about what I paid for the lot, or close enough, and then they gave me the charm which sells for around 100-120 on it's own so...it was a good deal. The other cameos aren't what I would buy normally, but I can post later once I've finished cleaning them up. One very large Deco Psyche/Flora and another Nouveau looking Bacchante.

I don't think I've seen this one of yours before? That HAIR STYLE! And the tufts of facial hair. It's so great. The faces are so lively and specific on these.

As always, you may add him to the Pinterest collection.

 

Merci, madame.

 

Davey needs the case.

 

Davey finds...whatever he needs !!

 

He is incredible! Kudos!

 

May I ask who Davey is?

 

Our dear moderator, @daveydempsey

 

....... who does house clearances for a living , and finds such a vast amount of valuables left behind, that we await with envy his every post !!!

 

..and collects coins, many of which came from house clearances.

 

It turns out the Saulini family kept the sketches that they used to carve their cameos, as well as notes about the sitter, and I found the sketch of mine!!





Mr. Alfred H. Perry came to the studio in December of 1860. He is listed as "American nationality."

The sketches and a whole lot more were compiled by 2 historians into a book in 2006, called "Tommaso e Luigi Saulini Incisori di cammei nella Roma dell'Ottocento" or "Tommaso and Luigi Saulini Cameo engravers in nineteenth-century Rome" by Francesca Barberini, Micaela Dickmann de Petra. I found it listed as a reference on a Saulini cameo entry in one of the British Museums and went hunting. Printed in Italian, in Italy but it is STILL AVAILABLE!



It's a huge 240 pgs and approx 8 x 12". It has an extensive biography of the family, including portraits and genealogy tree, cameos from different museums and private collections, and half the book is sketches of various sitters of commissioned cameos.

I just got it today, so I haven't had time to read it (and doing it with a translator is gonna take longer... ), but already it's had some interesting information. It turns out there are 4 Saulini carvers... Luigi and Tommaso Senior (brothers), and Luigi Jr. (son of Tommaso Sr.) and Tommaso Jr. (son of Luigi Jr)! Cameos signed T. Saulini are Tomasso Sr. Cameos signed L. Saulini in cursive are Luigi Sr. Signed L. Saulini in block letters are Luigi Jr. "Saulini F." is as we suspected...the historians conclude are "attributable to the collaborators of the Saulini studio with the probable intervention by Tommaso, Luigi Sr., or Luigi Jr.

This book is really amazing. The sketches are beautiful and the insight into how cameos are made is worth it alone. There are copies available on e bay and amaz, but it is cheapest imo through the publisher. The book is 30 euros, USA shipping is 25 (cheaper if you're in europe obvs) and signing up for their newsletter gets you 5 euros off. So 50, plus a foreign transaction fee, and it got to me very quickly. I like to support a publisher directly if I can.

I've got to run, but I was so excited I had to post something asap! Now if only I had a genealogy website membership to find Mr. Perry lol...

 

I told a relative who is amazing at genealogical research, and she actually found out who the sitter is. It turns out the name is not Perry...it's Terry. As in the famous Union Civil War General Alfred Howe Terry.

She found his signature to confirm it, as the signature on his Saulini sketch is his own. This makes sense because this section of sketches has a notation that the sitter add their address and sign.



There's a great article about him which includes the note that "He spent the summer of 1860 in Europe traveling and studying military fortification, ships of war, and any other military materials available for perusal." That exact year the cameo was made. There are also a couple photos of him in the article.

My mind is blown that he could be tracked down in this detail! How crazy...

 

Fan-Tas-Tic documentation! It is great you found the sketch of your caméo and above all the history of the sitter

 

Congratulations! He is superb, especially thr beard. You've got the eye for Saulini cameos now.

 

CUTE!!?? This is splendid. Thanks for sharing.

 

I also have this book and agree it is awesome. Well worth the price. I found some of the unsigned pieces attributed to the Saulinis very interesting, as they don't have a special "look". These are not portraits but mythological subjects.

 

Amazing! Isn't it great to find out the identity of the sitter? To me, it makes the cameo come alive.

 

This is the Idar (Germany) cameo I posted about a while back. Now that I have it in hand, it is signed C. Hahn. It is exquisite in person. The carving is very delicate, with lots of detail. There are a few nibbles on the edge of the shield, but they are only visible under magnification. I am so glad I was able to purchase it, even though it was way above my usual limit.

I found some basic info about Carl Hahn, but nothing significant. However, this summer I am traveling to Idar and will see what info I can find. There are still stone carvers there, one of the more famous being Richard Hahn. The Hahn family has many branches and are involved in many aspects of gems.

Carl Hahn is listed as an exhibitor in the 1876 International Exhibition in Philadelphia, PA.

And in Handels Newspaper for the Gold and Silverwares Industry (1899).

 

I'm pretty sure I saw one of your Saulinis in the book...the younger gent. It's thrilling to be able to put them together!

The cameo is sooo beautiful! Just a stunning piece. I'm so glad you bought it so we could get a better look at it.

Better leave a lot of space in your luggage for all the "rocks" you're going to bring home. Take me with you!

 

Wow, incredible piece!!! Some things need to open more your wallet...
I think we all expect a full report of your Idar trip