The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-07-06
HISTORY or cAmEos.
Shells, Eggs and Stones Used Before
ONYX Was Known.

Scientific American: An interesting
lecture was recently delivered by
Cyril Davenport at the Royal institu-
ton, London. dealing with the beauti-
full handIcraft dating from Ptolemaic
times-cameos. Mr.. Davenport main
tanned that "A first-rate intaglio on hard
stone was the finest work OF art which
could be wrought by tho hand OF man.
Intagiios. however. he explained. were
normally intended for the purpose or
making Impressions. being therefore
only a means To an end. whereas
cameo WAS complete In Itself lie de-
scribcd the processes necessary To the
production 90 a cameo. including the
mysteries OF the bow driil. cutting dia-
Frond point. and modern gem-cutters
lathe. a short account was also given
~ the early history OF canoes on
shells. eggs and soft stones before the
discovery OF onyx as the mnierial spe-
cIalIy adapted for cameo-cuttipg. The
Gracco- Roman, and especially the Az
GUSTAV. period was rich In canoes. ana
almost every great Roman wished to
have his portrait cut In onyx. one OF
these. an exquisite portrait OF the en-
peror himself. which formerly belonged
TO the Strozzi collection. Is perhaps the
finest existing cameo. Such portrait
canoes were practically indestructible,
except by accident. The large canoes
the Triumph OF Bacchus" ut the vaii-
san. the Agate de There" ut Paris.
and the "Gcmma Augesten" at Vienna
were described I'm detail. ana much
curious information WAS given about
the signatures on canoes. When these
signatures were In relief they were un-
doubtedly genuine. but when In intaglo
they might be forgeries. and many such
signatures were known To have been
forged during the renaissance.
Regarding the glass plates, the finest
Instances OF glass canoes are TO be
found upon the Portland vase and the
Auldjo vase. both In London, and on
the Vase dcs Vcndanges at Naples.
The remarkable change from the
classical and NEUROLOGICAL designs OF
the Graeco- Roman times TO the Chris
tian themes OF the fourth century. when
Constantine the Great became Chris
tlan. IL curiously illustrated In canoes
Hercules was christcncd David Per-
seus and the Gorgon became "DavJ
and Goliath" and Nenuses and Ledss
were turned into Virgin Marys:" and
the great Agate de There" ut Paris
was only saved from destruction by
/ being called the Triumph OF Joseph IN
/ Egypt" Then az the renaissance they
| all went back again. and classical art
/ recovered its lost position. The re-
] nnlSSlnce cameo cutters were very
/ skilled workncn. but In spite OF theil
general high level they had not sue
ceeded I'm making any very important
| cameo. although the "Hymcneal Pro
I cession or Eros and Psyche" realized q
! high price. They were. however. cmi'
nently successful IN the setting Of gems
I Pope Plus n. and Lorenzo de Medic
\ bestowed high and learned patronage
I Ia the matter OF engraved gems Two
} very charming pendants with Games
| portraits or Queen Elizabeth repre-
scented English work. and fine recent
work has also been executed by Ed
ward Burch. Marchant. Wray and
Brett. In Great Britain. however. The
art was virtually lost. and Bernard,
I Pistrucci. chief engraycr To the mint
who designed the beautiful group OF st
I George and the dragon on the Eng.
iish sovereign coin. was really the last
great cameo designer. In France flns
work has been done In late years by
Adolph David. Henri Francois, Georges
I Lemairc and others.