Featured CAMEOS: Show & Tell or Ask & Answer

That's Miss Priss, to you.

 

We look forward to seeing her after a bubble bath.

 

And is it any wonder that I am Team Headband Girl?

 

Errata:

As if we weren't all confused enough, was supposed to say: much more fine grained material than BarnBeatrice.

On the blue ones:

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/blue-lava-cameo-high-relief-vintage-219730343

'This wonderful brilliant blue cameo appears to be made of lava or glass' but wraps up 'Have fun bidding on this BLUE LAVA victorian cameo'. Despite conceding up front that it could be glass, seller apparently sold themselves on the idea that it was lava: 'There is a hairline crack which does show mostly on the back or underside.in researching this kind of cameo it is common for cracks to be present even before carving'.

On the other hand:

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-tassie-18c-blue-lava-glass-cameo-pin

They try hard to sell the notion that piece is 18th century & a coveted actual production of the Tassie workshop, but at least they know it is glass.

 

I think this is very likely. It's what happened with lava & probably became necessary to do large decorative plaques if they were not to crack under their own weight. A trade secret, no doubt, as they would want you to believe pieces are still made the traditional way. Probably one way to distinguish newer from older pieces.

The more I look at Jesus, the more I think he is supposed to look like calcaire petrifie, but isn't.

 

I knew what you meant.

On the blue ones... yes, I know the color is an unresolved issue.

But I still think it's plausible that all three are dripstone and that BlueB is dyed.

No, I do not have proof that anyone ever anywhere at any time EVER dyed a piece of dripstone. Details.

Just to be clear, the pic following the Jesus face pic is the Jesus' "back" pic.

 

Which looks even less like dripstone than the front does. It's a wannabe.

I'm confident the blue ones are ceramic. As for blue lava:



I have a feeling you won't satisfy yourself on the blue ones until you can examine one in person. Please promise me not to buy this one (eBay #113694301264):

 

Well all the ones you posted were.

Now hush, woman.

 

Well, I can't tell you what the seller says (French), but here's a link to more pics:

https://m.ebay.fr/itm/362623448530

 

Cadre Ancien Relief Jésus Christ Signé Mattei





Back is covered; seller makes no representation about material.

This one does look like calcaire, although listed as meerschaum:





https://www.etsy.com/listing/565323507/antique-meerschaum-french-head-of-jesus

This one is something else again:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/628938753/christ-per-mattei-ca-1900

 

I don't know what you're telling me. Things made in a mold?

 

I am currently at the point of believing there is a second primary source for Beatrice images.

Plus, shooter on the grassy knoll.

I have got to let this go for awhile.


EDIT: I know there are other Beatrices images. I mean one that shows a very specific draping of the sleeve. I suspect an engraving of the known painting may be at fault, but I haven't found it, yet. What willing finding it prove? That BarnB and BlueB don't have to be related.

It will make everything easier to explain.

 

Precisely.

• Items made in molds with a common origin were not necessarily made by the same company.
• Items made in molds with a common origin are not necessarily made of the same substance.
• Sellers, as often as not when it comes to this sort of thing, do not know what they really have & their descriptions are not reliable.

As seller of Grey Lady said,

'I believe it is carved from lava stone, but cannot say with certainty.'

 

*leaving the Beatrices alone for now*

On another project at the moment. Trying to turn what is obviously a "u" or an "n" into a "g" or a "j"...

These little projects make me strong.

 

What does it say on the ribbon of the bouquet piece? I can make out Paris, but couldn't manipulate it into legibility.

There is nothing either 'u' or 'g', but thinking makes it so? Better you than me. No, really, better.

 

Eye training.



oval marble cameo brooch

Is the auction house describing this correctly? If not, what should it say? (Please, no one say dripstone!)

 

I think we are talking about different projects, but the coffee is still brewing here, so give me a minute.

 

I say "not marble" because I don't think marble cameos are a thing...

I wouldn't think most people would confuse ivory with marble. It looks like plastic to me, but a mold seems unlikely.

Pre coffee, "really thick piece of shell" is best I got.

 

I get that. But that there has to be a common primary source (otherwise they don't all have the exact same peculiar bit of drapery).

I went off in search of another Beatrice that I was confident had the same primary source... and I found one. And she's in shell.

So either the shell carver had the same primary source or he had Blue or Barn. That seems so unlikely, so there has to be a secondary-primary source.

Like an engraving. I'm betting it's an engraving. Probably seen in French publications and therefore I will never find it.

It's okay, I'm close to not caring, because knowing a secondary-primary source exists, is almost as good as finding it.

The mold for BlueB is pretty impressive... I do wonder why there aren't more of her.

pfftttt! Do tell! For a long while I had a thing about plastics (jewelry) -- ebay descriptions made me a crazy person. Did manage some good deals, though.

 

I'm sure it isn't marble except if it was a 15"plaque/bas-relief
Pic isn't enough high resolution to see the texture... I'd say ivory or... molded celluloid