High-Relief cameo of the Infant Bacchus Size Cameo only: 1 - 5/16 by 1 - 1/16 With frame: 1 -1/2 by 1 - 1/4 Material: Shell cameo brooch in a bezel of twisted silver. Date: ca 1850 Origin: France. Condition: The cameo is near mint, with a shallow, nearly imperceptible crack in a natural vein present on the left background field. This is a normal consequence of the passage of time and, far from being a sign of damage, serves to substantiate the cameo's age. The twisted silver frame is in excellent condition. Retail Value: $700.00 This cameo shows the face of Bacchus, the god of wine and revelry, as an infant. The god, a plump, sturdy toddler, faces the viewer wearing a lively expression, his lips parted, perhaps in merry song. A wreath of grape clusters and leaves crowns his curly hair and an animal skin, the traditional garb of Bacchus, is draped across his right should. Although Bacchus is most familiar to us as a bibulous middle-aged roisterer, paintings of him as an infant or young child are not uncommon. Boucher, Poussin, Bellini, Reynolds, Albani, Reni, La Hyre, Gerome and other notable painters portrayed the God of Wine as a child. The surface of the cameo is in unusually high relief, the depth of the carving adding to the appeal and value of the piece. The excellent design imparts a sense of vigor and movement to the cameo. The execution is superior, the work of a master artisan. All the particulars are rounded and soft; this is not owing to wearing down of the carving but a design element intended to convey the plump baby features of the infant god. This is an exceptionally appealing high-relief cameo with retail value of $700.00. Appraisal copyright 2001 by Corrie Tapp Cameos