The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1905-07-07
HISTORY OF cAMEos.
Shells, Eggs and tones Used Before

ONYX Was Known.
Scientific Americana: An interesting
lecture was recently delivered by
Cyril Davenport at the Royal institu-
ton, London, dealing With the beauti-
full handicraft dating from Ptolemaic
ti~mes-cameos. Mr.. Davenport MAIN
tanned that a first-rate intaglio on 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 end, whereas II
cameo was complete i'll itself. He de-
cribe the processes necessary to the
production of a cameo the
mysteries Of the bow drill, cutting dia-
mond point, and modern Sem-cutter's
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 c~ameo-cutting. The
Graeco-Roman, and especially the Au-
GUSTAV, period was rich in canoes, n
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 We're practically indestructible,
except by accident. The large cameos-
the 'Triumph of Bacchus" at the vati-
ean. the agate de There" at Paris.
and the "Gemma Augesten' at Vienna
were described in detail, and much
curious was given about
the signatures on canoes When these
signatures We're 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.
Regarding the glass plates, the finest
instances OF glass carneoS are Ii, be
found upon the Portland vase and The
Auldio vase, both in London. and on
the Vase DIES Nendanges at Naples.
The remarkable change from the
classical and psychological designs of
the Graeco-Roman times to the Chris
tian themes of the fourth century, when
Constantine the Great became Chris
tian, is cul,iouslY illustrated i'm canoes.
Hercules was christened David Per-
seus and the Gorgon became David
and Goliath" and Venuses and Ledas
We're turned into ''Nirgtn MaryS;' and
the great Agate de There" at Paris
WAS only saved from destruction by
being called the Triumph of Joseph in
lIgYpt.' Then at the renaissance they
All went back again, and classical art
recovered its lost position. The re-
naissance cameo cutters were Very
skilled Workmlcn. but i'm spite of then
general high level they had not sue
ceeded in making amy very important
cameo, although the "Hymeneal Pro
cession of Eros and Psyche" realized a
high price. They We're, however, emf
nently successful in the setting of gems
Pope Plus II. and Lorenzo de Medici
bestowed high n 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
lish sovereign coin, was really the last
great cameo designer: In France fins
work has been lone in late years by
Adolph David, Henri Francois, Georges
LenSir and others.