Athena
Materials: shell
Date and origin: ca 1860, Italy
Size of the cameo: 2 x 1 3/4
Size of the frame: 2 3/8 x 2 1/8
Condition: flawless.
Museum Quality cameo, carved in very high relief to depict the head of the goddess Athena, within elaborate and superb gold frame.
This rare cameo of unbelievable quality seems extremely similar to an agate cameo carved by Tommaso Saulini, one of the best Italian carvers of the 19th Century.
The agate cameo was very popular since it was shown in several international expositions in US and in UK.
Is not out of question that he decided to carve several copies. If was not carved by Saulini himself, in my honest opinion it comes in any case from his workshop.
