Cameo Signature Help Needed

And seems to have made this particular head, with slight variations, repeatedly. Probably could do it in his sleep.

 

@Jivvy

 

@Bronwen the cameo of the couple is interesting... is he picking a prickle from the thistles off her arm? Some sort of Scottish theme? Or is it French and meant to evoke the Thistle of Lorraine?
Trivia: Pliny the Elder apparently thought that thistles could return hair to bald heads!

 

Grisaille cameos? Looks like it went for a rather reasonable price, did you bid/win?

 

Oh yes, let's everyone go out and find a bunch of cameos signed "May" (MAY for fox sake) and expect @Jivvy to do something with it.

You two devils (@Bronwen and @bluumz ) do realize that including the one @Bronwen messaged me privately, there's no reason to believe these aren't FOUR different carvers, right?

The sigs don't match, you know.



I leave you with the big book of Forer and Wilhelm May. Beyond that, you are on your own.

It's not that I don't love the both of you, but you see, at the moment, I'm in the middle of a critical research project about an obscure 19th century tinsmith with the surname "The."

It's terribly important, I swear.

 

Oh, I know.

Wilhelm was a die-sinker/medallist. No evidence he ever did shell cameos. George & Thomas May, who both exhibited wax models in the mid-18th century, probably had skills that could have translated to shell carving, but their active period is about 100 years too early.

 

It is, alas, not mine, as though that would give me more insight. He is shod & is sitting on a very rich looking cloak while she is barefoot among the crags & thistles. It makes me think of stories, like Giselle, in which a prince woos a country girl. The pose suggests to me that he is putting a bracelet on her wrist although nothing is visible there when I enlarge. Thought at first there was a sphere, like a pearl, then saw another & decided just a finger tip.

 

I did not bid. I was so convinced it would go much higher than that, decided to take the nap I was craving instead. A bit sorry now, although these days I don't mourn much, consoling myself with the reminder of how much stuff I have already. I thought the person who should have it, who could work wonders with it, is @kyratango

 

I lurked it... but thought it would take too much to restore it as a comb...

 

You didn't say Mother, MAY I.

 

Mayhem ensues.

 

Just don't hem & haw, maw.

 

Have we talked about this siggie yet?
It also has an interesting pin catch.

(I'm considering the purchase. But, lately, I've "considered" purchases for so long that someone gets in ahead of me.)

 

I think we may have tossed it around without coming to a conclusion. Ask @Jivvy she has a better memory for what she has seen. It's possible she & I have discussed it on the sidelines. I'll come back & poke around a little later.

 

Oh. Mouhe, maybe? Check with her Jivness.

 

I remember seeing the fancy cursive J before...

 

@bluumz @Bronwen It is not in my MaybeMouhe file, but I think it may end up there. I'll do some tweaking and report back.

 

hmmm.

This is not a typical Mouhe given name initial.

I've got several ProbablyMouhe sigs and none of them have that loop on the top (some have a swoop at the bottom).

For those not keeping track of the Mouhe situation, @Bronwen and I believe there are a minimum of two Mouhes. We have seen sigs of what I call the GoodMouhe with the other being the ScenicMouhe (a prolific Mouhe indeed!).

Typical GoodMouhe on the left, CurrentUnknown on right.