Cameos are tiny carved pictures in relief usually mounted in precious metal frames such as gold or silver. You could hang a little group on on a wall, pin one to your lapel or turn one into a dress ring. That's what the Victorians did and according to How To Spend It, the FT's luxury weekend magazine, cameos in their various forms are making a comeback.
You may be surprised to learn that a good source of cameos is The London Silver Vaults. There are several jewellers down here alongside all the shops selling just silver. In a recent exhibition of silver sculpture, several cameos set in gold or silver were part of the show. There was a stunning head and shoulders of a goddess carved from a conch set in a heavy gold bracelet of layered leaves and tiny gold beads. This Victorian treasure was from Anthony Green in Vault 54. Another cameo this time of Athena with the customary vine leaves and grapes in her hair was set in Victorian gold also. This from Belmont in Vault 46. And more goddesses from Wolfe in Vault 41 could be worn as brooches or pendants.
That's my silver tip for today.
No comments:
Post a Comment