The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-07-07
n OF cAmEos.
Shells, Eggs ard Stones Used sefor~
ONYX Was Known.

Scientific AYnericarr: An interesting.
lecture was recently delivered by
Cyril Davenport at the Royal institu-
ton. London, dealing with the beauti-
full handicyaft dating erom Ptolemaic
times-cameos. Mr.. Davenport main
tanned that a frst-rate tntaglio or hard
stone was the finest work Of art which
could be wrought by the hand of man.
Intaglios. however, he explained. We're
normally intended for the purpose. OF
making Impressions, being therefore
only a means to an emo whereas 81
cameo was complete In itself. He de-
scribed the processes necessary to the
production of a cameo, including the
mysteries of the bow drill, cutting dia-
mond point, and modern gem-cutter'ss
lathe. A short account was also given
of the early history of canoes on
shells, eggs and soft stones before the
discovery of onyx as the material spe-
cially adapted for cameo-cutt1ng. The
Graeco-Roman, and especially the Au-
GUSTAV. period was rich in cameos, and
almost every great Roman wished to
nave 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 indestructtble,
except by accident. The larga- oarneos-
the ''Triumph OF Bacchus" att the vati-
can. the Agate de There" at Paris.
and the "Gemma Augesten' at Vienna
were described in detail. and much
curious information was given about
the signatures on canoes. When these
signatures were in relief they We're UNI
doubtedly genuine; but when in. intaglo
they might be forgeries. and many such
signatures We're known to have been
forged during the renaissance.
pnrov 1 n y tho oil &C. v11otnor tho G~ncf
instances of glass canoes are to- be
found upon the Portland vase and The
Auldjo vase, both in London, and On
the Vase des Nendanges at Naples.
The remarkable change from the
classical and NEUROLOGICAL designs Of
the GraecO-Roman times to. the Chris
tan themes of the fourth century, when
Constantine the Gneat became Chris
tan, is c%uriously Illustrated In canoes.
Hercules was christened David" Per-
seus and the Gorgon became '.David
and Goliath" and Nenuses and Ledas
were turned into Virgin Marys;" and
the great Agate de There" at Paris
was only saved from destruction by
being called the Triumph Of Joseph in
Egypt" Then at the renaissance they
all went back again. and classical art
recovered its lost position. The re-
naissance cameo cutters were very
skilled workmen. but in spite Of their
general high level they had no sue
ceeded in making any very important
cameo. although the "Hymeneal Pro-
cession of Eros and Psyche realized a
high price. They We're. however, mi
nently successful in the setting of gems.
Pope Piu III. and Lorenzo de Medict
bestowed high and learned patronage
in the matter Of engraved gems. Two
very charming pendants with cameo
portraits Of Queen Elizabeth repre-
sented 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 Bernardo
Pistrucci, chief engraver to the mint,
who designed the beautiful group of st.
George and the dragon on the Eng
lsh sovereign coin, vas really the last
great cameo designer. In France fine
work has been done in late years by
Adolph David. Henri Francois, Georges
Lemaire and others.