Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-10-30
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
CAMEO PORTRAITS.

first time introduced into practice among us.
speak of Mr.. JOSEPH WILSON, who has just
xed himself here for the winter, as cutter of like
esses in Cameo, and may, for the present. be found
3 Mrs. Thompsons, at the southeast corner of Z
nd Fourteenth streets. Mr.. w. is, it appears, ma
We Americana party quite as hopeful in the Fine
rts as in Politics, and realizing, or likely to real
be, much fairer objects. In the one, it has given
but fresh confusion corruption, intrigue, and self
eAness, where any such addition was quite super
nous in the other, thas already produced I.euze,
Huntingdon, Weir; Power, Clevenger,
sreenough and is adding, every day, to our pro-
ress in works Of the Imagination new monuments
Invention and Taste-glories good deal purer
nd more permanent than any which Mexican wars
nd the like will ever achieve for us.
I'VE have examined, with much satisfaction, spe-
lens of Mr.. Wilson's proficiency in that minia-
ne sculpture which he practises. Among these
pecmens there is head, in cameo upon shell,
bout an inch in size, of the venerable Mrs. Madl.
on. The likeness is excellent, and the execution
very delicate and high finish. He also submit
I'd 10 us other heads among which is one Of Pre-
ident Polk. Considering (as, of course, one must
he difficulties Of the subject, the performance is
ute good and agreeable one.
1t may, we trust, be not dispeasing to our read
rs, yet little conversant with the productions of
his very early and beautiful art, that we should,
rom our general recollections, with the assistance
Winkelmann and others, sketch something OF
s history. This is curious enough to be of in
crest.
It's origin is exceedingly remote for it ascends+
robably good deal beyond the time of Moses-as
pust be inferred from the 9th chapter of Exodus,
therein lat 9, 10, IL, II, Is, 10, 30, III the
acred ornaments for the person of the High Priest
re ordered. Among these ornaments are "two
AZ N.
ibes, in the order of birth, six upon each stone,
with the work of an engraver on stone, like the
hgravings of sgnet." The passage establishes
earIy enough several facts First, that the art
rought like nearly all the other arts known to the
[ebrews) out Of Egypt-must have even then been
uch diffused there, in order that the Jews, seclud
and debased as they had been kept, can have had
mong them artisans OF such a craft second, that
hgraved signets were then Of common use, as the
cans of signature to instruments by those who
build not write third, the mention of the onyx-a
one with layer of white upon pale red-mplics
lat carving in relief, so to show the object re-
resented in the former color upon ground of tie
tier was understood as well as the mere art of
hitting sunken letters or figures. The former sort
carving makes what the Italians call canoes the
liter sort makes what they style the intagHo,
rom intaghare, to cut in Besides the three
bnts thus made out, we should infer from the con-
xt of the five last verses above cited, that they
ben knew how to engrave upon all the twelve pre-
ous stones Gncluding the diamond) selected to be
BIT in the Urm and Thummim, each to signify
particular tribe, as its badge But this interpre-
tion is not entirely certain: the name not per-
APPS cut upon each stone 1t is clear, however,
lat the art had long subsisted in Egypt at least be-
bre the Hebrew migration back TO Canaan and
hat it had then reached its second stage-that in
Fhich it ceases merely to be substitute for writ
In signature las it had again become, for instance,
the time of the Magma Charta and Runnimede)
nd rises into an ornamental art, a miniature sculp-
hfc, applied to the hardest and most precious sub
(ances We need scarcely add that sculpture IL
elf must always have long preceded, in easier and
heaper forms, its own application to such ma
Erials.
The eldest specimens Of Gem-sculpture now ex-
|ting are possibly the ScarabRi, the little beetles
Inflated in stone and pierced generally lengthwise,
if be put strng,) which the ancient Egyptians
opposed to have amules The insect one of
eir symbols Of Immortality rather of revivifcationan
ering therefore, that airy Greek emblem of the SOUL the
Utterly. Apter expressions Of the comparative gaceulness
two nations in their imaginative inventions there could
LARGELY be.
To period certainly remote but unsettled belong some
uscan remains embracing few engravngs stone, but
iehy existing in sculpured in relief The common
aracter of these is considered marking Egyptian
er than Greek derivation Of but it is still questionable
neither they ascend to greater antiquity than positive
story fixes upon much perfect pieces Of the sort Of
upure among the Grecians- indeed the Etruscans
BIT Of Hellenic origin
The discoveries viii the French successfully pro-
cutting among the supposed ruins of Nneveh will probably
ling light engraved stones Of e-historc date
lin than those last mentioned. What the Nnevish arts
ere be little than conectured but this oneis like
have existed.
II however, among the Greeks that meet the first dis
evidences Of the existence Of this art. state Of high
vancement In the tale of that Saman tyrant, Poly
ates+ so famous in Herodotus for his long of
od fortune figures signet ring, Of emerald, cut by
heodorus Of Samos and which the despot when at the
Try height of his ( them signal prosperity selected,
nongst all his vauabes that fsvore possession by the
crice Of which he was atone Fortune (whom the wise
held jealous OF all ongcontnued human happness) for
extraordinary Of luck The value thus attached TO
object and the preservation OF the of the artist prove
the ART already in general estimation, had arrived at
excellence and must therefore, have then been long
actsed To tho name Of Theodorus add that OF
nesarchus the father Of Pythagoas the philosopher
other scuptorapdary Of the age. OF these two only
Of that distant tmc the memory has been casually handed
wn to by History when yet Art had regular annals
From this time down to the age Of Alexander the Great
interval Of 200 years. during which Sculpture rose to its