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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Bronwen, post: 636053, member: 5833&quot;]I&#039;m surprised they did not give more provenance (history of ownership).&nbsp; I&#039;m not sure how they&#039;re coming up with a 17th century origin.&nbsp; There is this blanket statement:</p><p><br /></p><p>These objects are offered from <b><a href="https://www.thealthanicollection.com/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.thealthanicollection.com/" rel="nofollow">The Al Thani Collection.</a></b> From next year, works of art from this encyclopedic collection will be shown at a new museum space in Paris. In addition to new acquisitions, sale proceeds will support ongoing initiatives of <b><a href="https://www.thealthanicollection.com/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.thealthanicollection.com/" rel="nofollow">The Al Thani Collection Foundation</a></b> which extend from exhibitions, publications and lectures to sponsorships of projects at museums around the world.</p><p><br /></p><p>They cite this one in the V&amp;A, even crib some language from the description:</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O16062/shah-jahan-cameo-unknown/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O16062/shah-jahan-cameo-unknown/" rel="nofollow">http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O16062/shah-jahan-cameo-unknown/</a></p><p><br /></p><p>I have seen both Christie&#039;s and Sotheby&#039;s get it seriously wrong when it comes to cameos.&nbsp; I&#039;m away from my own computer at the moment, so can&#039;t show you a relevant example right now.&nbsp; Will try to remember next week.</p><p><br /></p><p>It annoys me no end that in the world of engraved gems, no matter how superb the work, one that is not signed is always worth less than one of similar or even somewhat lesser quality that is signed; that same signed cameo would be worth even more if ownership could be traced to someone famous or royalty, even obscure royalty.&nbsp; For me the value is all in the piece itself; investors don&#039;t see it that way.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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