DOI Heft:
Nr. 342 (November 1925)
DOI Artikel:A group of shell cameos
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19986#0143
mueRHACionAL
sruoio
shell cameo—" diana and acteon " Courtesy oj Museum of Natural History
It would appear that the supply of the hard (the artist's name was Morelli), the spectator has
stones used in cameo cutting would not be difficult the best possible opportunity to make contrasts
of maintenance as time passed and means of trans- in dimensions and also in the exquisite skill of the
portation between East and West increased. But unknown cutters of the three large shells.
such was not the case. _ -, Of the three repro-
And the Italian cameo ■ I duced here the one by
cutters turned to other some unknown Nea-
materials than the long JEr i..- politan cameo cutter
Familiar hard stones to '"' . who reproduced Guido
use in their work. Reni's famous paint-
Shells proved one of I ing of "Aurora" is, by
their favorite materi- W^^^&tk WJ 1 far, the most interest-
als, and around Naples B 'ng of these cameos,
in the seventeenth mf > v uir^*C • -H The shell itself (these
century this particular l \& $' ^ ' * A* I are of the variety
form of cameo cutting 'Jt "^^**J»^fff^^A known to naturalists
was developed into an I ■ x ^L- >< . ■ ^..itkfcW , fl as hermit shells and
extraordinary beauty. P ^ * fflf/.:,jB were brought to Na-
The three shell I v . P'es lrom tne West
cameos illustrated on Hh?*' """^^yaniro^ «j I Indies) is a superb
these pages are the ^Bj specimen. And, given
largest examples of the limitations of its
cameo cutting on I workable dimensions,
shells known. They the cutter "placed"
are gifts to the Amer- Hj his design with sur-
ican Museum of Nat- Mi ------------------ - - -------------- passing accuracy. His
ural History m New • shell cameo guido reni's "aurora" border to the oval cut-
York City from the Courtesy oj the Museum oj Natural History ting is particularly
late J. Pierpont Morgan whose taste in art was fitting since in its elements of rope and pearls it
the most catholic and all-encompassing of any is instantly associated with the element from
collector of his time. Placed as they are in a which these shells come. There is an ivory-like
cabinet with a few specimens of smaller cameos, quality to the surface of the cutting not com-
one of which is the only signed example known monly associated with the texture of a shell.
november i (| 2 j
one Jorty-lhree
sruoio
shell cameo—" diana and acteon " Courtesy oj Museum of Natural History
It would appear that the supply of the hard (the artist's name was Morelli), the spectator has
stones used in cameo cutting would not be difficult the best possible opportunity to make contrasts
of maintenance as time passed and means of trans- in dimensions and also in the exquisite skill of the
portation between East and West increased. But unknown cutters of the three large shells.
such was not the case. _ -, Of the three repro-
And the Italian cameo ■ I duced here the one by
cutters turned to other some unknown Nea-
materials than the long JEr i..- politan cameo cutter
Familiar hard stones to '"' . who reproduced Guido
use in their work. Reni's famous paint-
Shells proved one of I ing of "Aurora" is, by
their favorite materi- W^^^&tk WJ 1 far, the most interest-
als, and around Naples B 'ng of these cameos,
in the seventeenth mf > v uir^*C • -H The shell itself (these
century this particular l \& $' ^ ' * A* I are of the variety
form of cameo cutting 'Jt "^^**J»^fff^^A known to naturalists
was developed into an I ■ x ^L- >< . ■ ^..itkfcW , fl as hermit shells and
extraordinary beauty. P ^ * fflf/.:,jB were brought to Na-
The three shell I v . P'es lrom tne West
cameos illustrated on Hh?*' """^^yaniro^ «j I Indies) is a superb
these pages are the ^Bj specimen. And, given
largest examples of the limitations of its
cameo cutting on I workable dimensions,
shells known. They the cutter "placed"
are gifts to the Amer- Hj his design with sur-
ican Museum of Nat- Mi ------------------ - - -------------- passing accuracy. His
ural History m New • shell cameo guido reni's "aurora" border to the oval cut-
York City from the Courtesy oj the Museum oj Natural History ting is particularly
late J. Pierpont Morgan whose taste in art was fitting since in its elements of rope and pearls it
the most catholic and all-encompassing of any is instantly associated with the element from
collector of his time. Placed as they are in a which these shells come. There is an ivory-like
cabinet with a few specimens of smaller cameos, quality to the surface of the cutting not com-
one of which is the only signed example known monly associated with the texture of a shell.
november i (| 2 j
one Jorty-lhree