Posted 8 years ago
cameosleuth
(15 items)
I like whiskers on kittens as much as the next person, but this is another of my favorite things. Forgotten in a safe deposit box, it was auctioned by the State of Texas and has it all: gold!; diamonds!; pearls!; enamel (bit of loss to this)! There is an empty glazed memento compartment on the back. Best of all, this delicious hardstone cameo of a maenad/bacchante, thyrsus over her shoulder, tantalizing a putto with a juicy bunch of grapes. It is signed L. ROSI for Luigi Rosi, who worked in Rome in the mid-nineteenth century.
The majority of cameo images appear repeatedly, and cameo cutters like Rosi often copied earlier work. In this case, I have not been able to find this scene elsewhere, so there is the possibility it is his own composition in the neoclassical style. Certainly someone felt it was worthy of a particularly lavish setting.
Absolutely stunning!!!!....:-)
Who wouldn't love to own this!!
A superlative one !
Love it :-))
Thanks all. It really is a thing of beauty that gives much joy. Even the chain that came with it is gorgeous & opulent. Both this one & Nero have ornate, oversized bails that would make them look silly on most chains, but the chain for this one is perfect. Now I just need a charity ball to go to. :)
Marvelous! Above all i love the patience and craftsmanship of the maker.
Also the setting is so beautiful!
Thank you - it really is a favorite. It came with a chain that makes me feel like a Medici when I wear it. :)
Yep, Her Crystalship is definitely becoming a cameo convert. This one is indeed a jewel, in every sense. It is the most opulently set of any I own, yet still perfectly wearable. The rest of the time she cavorts with the rest of the Dionysian crowd, doing her best at corrupting impressionable youth!
Thanks for the love MacDaddy & antiquerose. :)
What a gorgeous cameo, it's absolutely breathtaking !
Thank you Tanni for kind words & love. I have another Rosi, the setting not quite so over the top. What is special to me about this one is that the composition is not one I have seen done by anyone else.
I feel breathless looking at this amazing gem.
Thank you Passion. It is quite a piece. I usually say settings are something I buy just to get cameos, but this one certainly competes for attention.
When I posted this I had not seen another cameo with this exact composition & did not see one until quite recently, when two others have appeared on eBay. Neither is by Rosi, although they even use very similar red stone. The search for the originator of the composition continues.