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Cameos
Cameos

wearable sculpture in reliefpture in relief
wearable scul

by Maxine Carter-Lome, publisher

ameos are one of the most widely recognized types of jewelry. have in fact been worn and
Many of us may even own a piece, most probably handed down coveted as frequently
Cfrom a family member. These miniature relief sculptures have a through the centuries by
history that pre-dates the birth of Christ by 300 years, with origins in men and were used to adorn
the ancient carving traditions of the Egyptians, says Anna M. Miller, helmets and military acces-
author of the book, Cameos, Old & New. sories like breastplates and
In the centuries since, cameos have been used for various purposes, sword handles. During the
made from a range of materials, and nearly always featured a raised Renaissance, Pope Paul II was an
(positive) relief image, most notably women’s profiles and scenes or avid cameo collector. According to
personalities from Greek mythology. history, this love ultimately led to Empress Josephine’s shell cameo diadem,
his death. His excessive display of presented to her by her brother-in-law
Joachim Murat, Empire period 1804–15
carved gems and stones on gold, shell, mother-of-pearl, cameos, pearls,
his fingers kept his hands precious and semi-precious stones.
so cold that he caught the
chill that meant his death. Cameos enchanted Napoléon, who
wore a cameo to his own wedding and founded a school in
Paris to teach the art of cameo carving to young apprentices.
Women began collecting cameos to prove cultural status
during the Elizabethan period when a single hand-carved semi-precious
Four shell cameo portraits of the Hunt brothers bezel-set in gold, joined by figure-eight gem or cameo was an extremely rare and treasured possession. But it
links, completed by a box clasp, c. about 1840 photo: Boston Fine Arts Museum was during the early 19th century that the cameo moved from the
realm of the wealthy cabinet collector to a broader audience.
Made in the Gods’ Images
Early Greek and Roman carvings showed images of gods and Times of Travel and Collecting
goddesses, themes from Greek mythology, beautiful women, and biblical Conch shell cameos were still being
events. “The subject matter rarely varied, most cameos—whether ancient carved by hand at the turn of the 20th
or 17th, 18th or 19th century—tended to depict scenes or personalities century, mostly by artisans along the
from Greek mythology. The universal appeal of tales of love, loss, Italian coast. They grew in popularity
deception, and magic endured,” says Michelle Rowan, owner of antique partially because the relative ease of
store Rowan & Rowan and author of Nineteenth Century Cameos. carving into shell over stone opened
“While mythology has been the predominant theme of cameos,” up a whole new level of artistry. It also
says Emily Stoehrer, the Rita J. Kaplan and Susan B. Kaplan Curator allowed for production carving, which
of Jewelry at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, “some were commis- was faster and more formulaic. The
sioned to depict real people, a particularly good example of which can end result was a cameo that was both
be found in bracelet-form in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s affordable and beautiful.
permanent collection. The bracelet has four cameos representing the Cameos quickly became the perfect
Hunt brothers, each one is in the likeness of one of the four brothers souvenir for those on their “Grand
and it was donated to the Museum of Fine Arts by their sister.” (above) Cameos come in all sizes, forms, Tour” of Europe to experience the art
Many tend to associate antique cameos with such decorative materials, subjects, and colors. and culture and mild climate of Italy
women's jewelry as rings, brooches, bracelets, and pendants, yet cameos This is an example of a carnelian and Greece. They would return from
shell cameo brooch

Title image: The profile of a striking classical beauty is masterfully hand carved in white onyx, highlighted by a subtle black aura, in this exquisite Edwardian pendant
necklace. The cameo is elegantly presented in a delicate frame, hand fabricated in platinum over 18K yellow gold, dotted all around with lustrous natural seed pearls and
four European-cut diamonds. A romantic and ravishing early-20th-century treasure. photo: Lang Antiques
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