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St John the Evangelist Material: Shell Date: ca 1860 Origin: Italy Frame: 14k solid gold C-Clasp on back, no pendant bale Size Overall with frame: 2 - 9/16 by 2 - 1/4 inches Cameo only: 2 - 1/16 by 1 - 3/4 inches Condition: Mint St John the Evangelist appears here as a very young man with flowing hair. He is often depicted in this manner in statues and paintings to signify that he was the youngest of the apostles. The saint, a three-quarter length figure, stands with his head turned in right-facing profile and his torso inclined towards the right. His right hand, the long fingers delicately carved, holds a quill pen and the left balances a large tablet to represent the three epistles of John. A bank of clouds wafting about the lower body is rendered adroitly. While clouds are often depicted on cameos of this period, all too often they often appear hard and stylized. Here, the artisan has achieved appealingly soft and fleecy clouds. The garment, a tunic, drapes in fine, fluid folds, with admirable detailing on the sleeve. |
| The head is superbly executed. A halo hovers ethereally over the saint's exquisite flowing locks. Although the head is slightly epicene in its overall effect, the face is rescued from effeminacy by the determined chin and firmly-set mouth, as well as by a hint of zeal in the large, beautiful eyes. The face is remarkable in its expressiveness: the carver has given this St John a contemplative and rapturous countenance. The ethereal beauty of the head contrasts strikingly with the muscularity of the arm and shoulders. The face conveys spirituality, while the rather surprisingly brawny arm suggests a sense of the saint's strength of purpose. It is possible that this may be a rare example of a signed cameo as the name "Monsagrati" has been incised into the back. The name, however, is not familiar to this appraiser as being that of a known carver, nor does it appear in the list of artisans cited in Miller,* the leading authority. The name may simply be that of a former owner and, therefore, this cannot be counted as a signed piece and the presence of the name Monsagrati does not increase the value. |
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