Featured CAMEOS: Show & Tell or Ask & Answer

I have shown this example before. Seller's photo:



After a bath:



I wasn't even sure of the material until I cleaned her up.

 

That's an amazing difference!

 

Question???? This is a 19th century micro-mosaic Italian Plaque........so from magnification on the site.....it makes me wonder.....were they.....or at least this one.....the tiny mosaic tiles....painted when finished being set in the design????? It kind of looks like it, but please correct me if I'm wrong!!! Either way, they certainly are beautiful!!!!

 

Ordinarily the tesserae are colored glass, carefully selected & placed. This certainly does have the appearance of paint over a neutral color of glass.

The figure is amusing. One painter did her without a halo and she is seen as the Allegory of Music. The haloed one is a different painter & seen as St. Cecilia, patron saint of music.

 

LOVE this transformation!

 

Virtual tour of the Hermitage's new Hall of the History of Engraved Gems:

https://pano.hermitagemuseum.org/3d/html/pwoaen/main/#node208

 

Hi Bronwen,
Thanks for the clip. Hermitage was the only place I wanted to spend a week at in stead of two days. It was a bit depressing to be moved to the front of the lines when I was there but I "had" contacts.
greg

 

As you may have discovered, you can move from room to room. It's pretty neat but I'm hoping they will add more information points for individual items. The link was sent to me by my contact at the Hermitage who was so extremely helpful in the matter of the cameo of Alexey Olenin. The discussion resumes with post 996 on page 50.

 

Good day cameo folks!

Anyone wanna venture a guess at what this is made of? It’s listed as coral but I feel it’s more glass looking. The back is also very odd.

What do you think?

 

For my eyes, glass too

 

Yes, I agee, molded glass.

 

This is fabulous! Thanks for sharing!

 

Thanks for the comparison photos. I just cleaned up one of my girls. I previously didn't want to remove the patina, but now I see that it was needed!

 

Unquestionably glass, not even in good condition. It does not even resemble coral; it is closest in appearance to conch shell.

 

If a mount has darkened I will buff it up to bring out decorative detail & verdigris should always be removed from brass. I don't mind if the mount shows some signs of age, as long as the signs are not unattractive. But I want my cameos themselves to look the way the carver intended them to look. As you have seen, sometimes grunge can do more than just make a pretty girl look like she needs her face washed.

 

I love catching up on this thread.

 

And we love having you drop in.

 

My first cameo purchase, so please be kind. Most of the ones I see are way past my price point, but this wasn't. I think because it is pretty modest. As always, any help will be appreciated.

 

Hey, KBE, couldn't get back to you earlier. She is helmet shell; by the findings, earlier 20th century.

I think there is a Ceres in there, but carver was a bit uncertain about hair vs grain.

 

Thanks so much. Better than I expected by far. I have been reading your thread all along. I was hoping to get the idea of what to look for. I was thinking older because of the lack of a safety catch. Ceres. Now she has a name. Love your thread.