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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Bronwen, post: 2301072, member: 5833&quot;]I&#039;m surprised the fan shaped brooch right above the cameos sold for so little.</p><p><br /></p><p>They don&#039;t really give you an idea of why the Zeus was priced so highly.&nbsp; It counts as a cameo, but is more of a miniature relief sculpture done in a single piece of citrine.</p><p><br /></p><p>I always find it ironic that a piece like the Napoleon, even if the quality of the execution were no better, would have sold for much more if it were signed by any recognized engraver of the time.</p><p><br /></p><p>For both it says they were &#039;priced at $....&nbsp; Were they sold for that?&nbsp; In what venue were they offered?</p><p><br /></p><p>Think someone got overly caught up in tales of Tithonus.&nbsp; There are many depictions of Cupid doing battle with various creatures, which are his size (or he is theirs.)&nbsp; Sometimes a grasshopper/cicada is just that.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/images/homepage/central/4.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>This one was one of the most coveted in last year&#039;s auction of the <a href="https://www.christies.com/masterpieces-in-miniature-ancient-28329.aspx?saletitle=" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.christies.com/masterpieces-in-miniature-ancient-28329.aspx?saletitle=" rel="nofollow">San Giorgi gems</a>.&nbsp; (Scroll down the page.)&nbsp; Think the Getty bought it.</p><p><br /></p><p>If the best the Scottish auction house could do when it came to the metal of the intaglio ring was &#039;gold coloured&#039;, the price realized suggests that bidders either thought it was high quality gold or that the intaglio is Roman.&nbsp; No way to know about either from photo.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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