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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Bronwen, post: 325020, member: 5833&quot;]I think of these generically as country scenes, or woman in a country scene, as quite a number of them include a lone woman, occasionally 2 women talking, in a lane or on a bridge.</p><p><br /></p><p>For me, even though the carving is never what you would call museum quality, they have an interesting quality of their own: I have never seen any 2 exactly alike; unlike the majority of helmet shell cameos, they are not copies of an art work in another medium but seem to be each carver&#039;s own composition.&nbsp; There is sort of a menu of elements that are mixed &amp; matched: a rather stylized tree; a stream, with or without a little bridge over it; a woman or women in 18th century dress; a building or buildings, sometimes looking ruined or improbably balanced; the woman is sometimes feeding a goat or some kind of waterfowl.&nbsp; There are similar ones, not as common, that feature children playing.&nbsp; Some have a well or well house &amp; you will see them identified as <a href="https://cameotimes.com/index.php/profiles-1/religious/rebecca-at-the-well" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://cameotimes.com/index.php/profiles-1/religious/rebecca-at-the-well" rel="nofollow">Rebecca at the Well</a>, which they are not.&nbsp; You might say they are Italian country idylls, 19th century artisans&#039; fantasy representations of an earlier time.&nbsp; See in yours what could be the indication of a church steeple on the left; some do include a church.</p><p><br /></p><p>Absence of marks on a piece this age does not rule out precious metal, but just going by photos &amp; what is usual for these cameos, agree that setting is gold-look only.&nbsp; Maybe silver that once had gold wash?&nbsp; Both setting &amp; cameo appear to be in very good condition.&nbsp; Suspect it is not quite so old as the tube hinge would suggest, but still an antique.&nbsp; Of course, it&#039;s greatest value is that it has been handed down in your family.</p><p><br /></p><p>Dirt on shell cameos can usually be safely remedied.&nbsp; However, if it is living loose among other pieces, it needs some protection from scratching &amp; bashing, which cannot be undone.</p><p><br /></p><p>Do you ever wear her?&nbsp; <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie100" alt=":writer:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /><img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie92" alt=":turtle:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /><img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie49" alt=":happy:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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