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Cameos346 of 433For The Love of CameosCameo - Very Old, Possibly Early Plastic?
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    Posted 11 years ago

    Clarity
    (1 item)

    This appears to me to be a shell cameo - it measures 5.5 cms x 4 cms - and has been hidden in a drawer for many years. It intrigues me because it shows a man - in fine detail - and (apart from gods and other mythical heroes) this does not seem all that common. Somehow I get the feeling that it represents a specific person - but I may be well off-base on that one! If anyone can give ANY views or insights I would be hugely grateful.

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    Comments

    1. Stillwater Stillwater, 11 years ago
      Men may be rarer, but they're less desirable than women unfortunately. I guess no one wants to be adorned with a stern old man. Great cameo though, probably from Italy, is there a signature on the back?
    2. Clarity, 11 years ago
      Stillwater - thank you for your response. Yes, he is a bit stern but perhaps he was someones' idea of a "pin-up" back in the day! No signature sadly - just the enigmatic face on the front.
    3. scottvez scottvez, 11 years ago
      Nice cameo!

      scott
    4. davyd286, 11 years ago
      Nice quality - look up 19th century writers or scientists; you may be able to identify your man. The carvings were often done from popular engravings or paintings.
    5. Clarity, 11 years ago
      Thanks both scottvez and davyd286 - looks like I'll be busy with research for a while - the writers/scientists idea is great!
    6. musikchoo musikchoo, 11 years ago
      Great Cameo !!!
    7. TallCakes TallCakes, 11 years ago
      great looking cameo; image reminds me of Galileo
    8. musikchoo musikchoo, 11 years ago
      I just pulled up images of Galileo and the Cameo bears a striking resemblance to Him.
    9. davyd286, 11 years ago
      Make sure the clothes check out, too.
    10. vetraio50 vetraio50, 11 years ago
      Well done musikchoo!
      I agree that Galileo Galilei.
      I had been thinking Garibaldi but the hair is too wavy!
    11. musikchoo musikchoo, 11 years ago
      Thank You vetraio and congrats clarity !!
    12. TallCakes TallCakes, 11 years ago
      compare to his statue in Florence
    13. Clarity, 11 years ago
      Thank you all - wonderful ideas and lots of effort on my behalf - astonishing!
      Galilieo - would never have thought of him myself. If the cameo did come from Italy - would he have just been a well-known face to use and sell to tourists of the time - and were other "celebrities" used in the same way - like pop-groups on t-shirts?
    14. cameosleuth cameosleuth, 10 years ago
      The artist has made the beard a bit more luxuriant than in usual representations, but I believe this is Michelangelo Buonarotti. The famous artists & poets of the past were popular cameo subjects.
    15. cameosleuth cameosleuth, 8 years ago
      I retract the ID of Michelangelo & agree wholeheartedly with Galileo. The 2 look very similar. This is probably after the medallion by Cerbera:

      http://www.illaboratoriodigalileogalilei.it/galileo/iconografia/ico_ver/curios/medagli_500/1840_galileo.html

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