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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;PepperAnna, post: 4532594, member: 17332&quot;]This item is up for auction on Aug 25. </p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/rare-antique-nathaniel-marchant-hard-stone-cameo--5a34fc5a7b" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/rare-antique-nathaniel-marchant-hard-stone-cameo--5a34fc5a7b" rel="nofollow">https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/rare-antique-nathaniel-marchant-hard-stone-cameo--5a34fc5a7b</a></p><p><br /></p><p>It is described as a:</p><p>RARE antique Nathaniel Marchant hard stone cameo seal . Signed Marchant.f - depicting a portrait of a gentleman facing a reflective older gentleman wearing a ruffled cape. The cameo is wonderful inscribed with the motto &#039;quo me rapis tui plenum&#039;, which loosely translates from Latin as &#039;where are you carrying me off to?&#039;. Measures 3cm x 2.6cm wide</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]400789[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]400790[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>It didn&#039;t look like a hardstone seal to me, but a paste reproduction. I did some research and came up with the following info. Hope this is as interesting for you as it is to me.</p><p><br /></p><p>The original gem, an intaglio, is held in a private collection in the United States. The original also has an intaglio of Cleopatra carved on the reverse of the gem, which the item listed for auction does not. The inscription alludes to Horace <i>Odes</i> III.25.1-2, <i>Quo me Bacche rapis tui plenum</i>, &#039;Where, O Bacchus, are you carrying me off to, so full [of your wine]?&#039;.</p><p><br /></p><p>Nathaniel Marchant, the engraver of the original seal, is well known for his intaglio engraving, meaning that the primary image was carved into the stone, not above the stone background. When dipped in wax, intaglios produced an image that was above the background, just like the item above. A wax impression of the original seal is in the British Museum and was completed in two colors of wax to highlight the image.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1864-0816-7" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1864-0816-7" rel="nofollow">https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1864-0816-7</a></p><p><br /></p><p>The auction item is a glass or paste reproduction, likely produced by James Tassie, William Tassie or Tomasso Cades. These reproductions were made from impressions of the original gems and were <u>extremely</u> popular. A reproduction (no. 2822) of the original Marchant gem is listed in James Tassie&#039;s catalog:&nbsp; A Catalogue of Impressions in Sulphur of Antique and Modern Gems from which Pastes are made and sold by J. Tassie, London 1775. The wealthy would order from the catalog and collect these imitation gems. The intaglio was also reproduced in porcelain by Josiah Wedgwood, see example in the British Museum (below) and sold very well for Wedgwood.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1887-0307-I-552" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1887-0307-I-552" rel="nofollow">https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1887-0307-I-552</a></p><p><br /></p><p>A plaster impression of the original gem was also made and sold by Amastini. As you can see, the plaster impression also has the image above the background, like the auction item. Of course, plaster is much easier to damage and does not hold up to handling like a glass or paste reproduction.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/XDB/ASP/recordDetails.asp?recordCount=1&amp;start=0" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/XDB/ASP/recordDetails.asp?recordCount=1&amp;start=0" rel="nofollow">https://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/XDB/ASP/recordDetails.asp?recordCount=1&amp;start=0</a></p><p><br /></p><p>The Garrick Club also has a copy of the seal and its corresponding wax impression.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://garrick.ssl.co.uk/object-m0185" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://garrick.ssl.co.uk/object-m0185" rel="nofollow">https://garrick.ssl.co.uk/object-m0185</a></p><p><a href="https://garrick.ssl.co.uk/object-m0023" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://garrick.ssl.co.uk/object-m0023" rel="nofollow">https://garrick.ssl.co.uk/object-m0023</a></p><p><br /></p><p>The gem image is of David Garrick turned to face Shakespeare. David Garrick was England&#039;s most famous and influential 18th century actor. He is credited with bringing the works of Shakespeare back to contemporary audiences, thereby establishing Shakespeare as the most important English playwright. His naturalistic acting style, innovative set design, lavish costumes, and editing of plays, both old and new, cemented his legacy and has had a lasting effect on how theater is produced and experienced.</p><p><br /></p><p>I emailed the auction house. Hopefully they will change their description prior to the auction.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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