Featured Cameos, just because.

I know what they are, but I just thought I'd show them.

My favourite is the white metal one: the carving is superb.

 

And just for luck!

 

Obb, you never need a reason to show beauty. It is one of life's necessities.

 

The black and gold frame by itself is drool worthy!

 

It certainly is. Looks like Toledo ware.

 

Damascene, rather than Toledo Ware - that latter is the imitation. I've not seen frames with Damascene in before. It was in a job lot with some other super things for under twenty dollars.

 

Lucky you!

 

Wow! Beauties and bargain
The damascene is striking in close up!

 

Don't need to tell you that your conch shell bacchante & forward facing helmet shell Flora, she of the much admired setting, are particularly lovely. Looks like the first one has a fitting for a detachable bail.

 

Lovely assortment Bear.
Thanks for sharing.

 

As everyone is getting to know, I heartily endorse that.

 

Looks like maybe the Damascene-framed Flora has an acid etched signature on the back? Hard to tell with the reflections.

 

I'll have another look, but I suspect just reflection.

Yes, Diana can be worn as a pendant: she has an interesting history. Belonged to a friend for whom I sold a whole lot of stuff. I didn't want money, but asked if I could keep the brooch, which he happily agreed to. His family were of German Jewish origin, so she may well have come from there. She has a bit missing, which is a shame, but I like her. I also kept a jug which he thought was ugly and Austrian - it was rather lovely Doulton Lambeth!

The bacchante is just such a lovely use of natural colour to me.

 

She would have been cut in Italy. Germany, particularly the Idar-Oberstein region, is known for its hardstone cameos. The ones that resemble this one are still being made there:

 

Yes, I should have said she was cut in Italy. I've seen it done there: lovely work. Almost every British cameo speaks with an Italian accent!

 

I do have a cameo handed down in a German Jewish family. Much of the family fled to South America as Nazism was advancing. A descendant ended up on Long Island; the cameo ended up on eBay. The seller's family were very generous with biographical information. I believe the cameo is a portrait of this lady or one of her sisters. It is signed R OTTO for Rudolph Otto, who also made cameos for the Prussian Imperial court.

 

There must have been German tourists too. Have noticed that when museums have a cameo of unknown origin, they invariably assign it to Italy or France. Very few are identified as German, even though cameos have been cut there for centuries.

 

And more recently, just after WWII, Czech refugees came to Germany and started producing hand-cut glass cameos. I've seen some of the faux coral ones, you have to look closely to see it is not Mediterranean coral.

 

Fee, fi, faux, fum - the fakes are becoming scarily good, an increasing hazard when buying cameos on line with only photos to go by.

 

That makes it so much more special.