Overlaid Cameo Glass. The term overlaid cameo glass relates to the technique of layering two or more layers of glass and carving through the fused layers of different colored glass to produce designs, usually with white opaque glass figures and motifs on a dark-colored background. See also Cameo Glass

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Information and gallery of cows in cameos and intaglios. Cows have been regarded as sacred animals in some cultures for centuries. They have also been regarded highly for centuries as food providers. Many ancient civilizations would depict cows in art work including cameos and intaglios.

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Information on Socrates and Socrates cameos. Socrates, 470/69-399 BC, is credited as the father of modern Western philosophy. He was an Athenian citizen who devoted his life to philosophy but because he did not write anything, he is also an elusive historical figure. What we know about his life, his conversations, his beliefs (virtue in knowledge, self-awareness, etc), even his satyr-like looks, is from the subjective writings of his pupils Plato and Xenophon and the dramatist Aristophanes. Surviving classical portraits were probably rendered after his death. His image was worn by his followers and was later a popular subject in Roman, Renaissance and neo-Classical cameos whereby the wearer demonstrated his taste and refinement by his knowledge of ancient Greek culture. Reference: Bonhams

His method of enquiry was to enter into a penetrating discussion with his companions, questioning the nature of knowledge itself in pursuit of absolute truths. Socrates himself wrote nothing, but versions of his conversations are recorded in the written works of his pupils Plato and Xenophon. Socrates’ pursuit of true knowledge brought him into conflict with the piety laws of his native Athens, where his eventual prosecution led to enforced suicide by drinking hemlock. Reference: The British Museum

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Information on Alexander the Great cameos and intaglios. Alexander the Great was the ruler of Macedon 336 BC-323 BC. He conquered the Persian Empire (c.333 BC) and Egypt (332 BC) and extended the borders of his empire as far as India. He was known in Iran and India as Iskandar. Reference: The British Museum

Alexander the Great’s accomplishments and legacy have been depicted in many cultures. Alexander has figured in both high and popular culture beginning in his own era to the present day. The Alexander Romance, in particular, has had a significant impact on portrayals of Alexander in later cultures, from Persian to medieval European to modern Greek.

Alexander features prominently in modern Greek folklore, more so than any other ancient figure. The colloquial form of his name in modern Greek (“O Megalexandros”) is a household name, and he is the only ancient hero to appear in the Karagiozis shadow play. One well-known fable among Greek seamen involves a solitary mermaid who would grasp a ship’s prow during a storm and ask the captain “Is King Alexander alive?” The correct answer is “He is alive and well and rules the world!” causing the mermaid to vanish and the sea to calm. Any other answer would cause the mermaid to turn into a raging Gorgon who would drag the ship to the bottom of the sea, all hands aboard. Reference: Wikipedia

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Dogs have been regarded as man’s best friend for centuries and this can be seen in cameos and art. Dogs are often depicted with shepherds, children and cherubs.

The origin of the domestic dog is not clear. It is known that the dog was the first domesticated species. The domestic dog is a member of the genus Canis (canines), which forms part of the wolf-like canids, and is the most widely abundant terrestrial carnivore. The closest living relative of the dog is the gray wolf and there is no evidence of any other canine contributing to its genetic lineage. The dog and the extant gray wolf form two sister clades,with modern wolves not closely related to the wolves that were first domesticated. The archaeological record shows the first undisputed dog remains buried beside humans 14,700 years ago, with disputed remains occurring 36,000 years ago. These dates imply that the earliest dogs arose in the time of human hunter-gatherers and not agriculturists. Reference: Wikipedia

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Information on Etruscan and Etruscan style cameos and intaglios. The Etruscans inhabited western central Italy. This culture developed out of the Iron Age Villanovan culture—they are traditionally called ‘Etruscan’ after 700 BC, when their language was first written. Etruria was made up of twelve city-states, united by language and religion, who were loosely allied in the Etruscan league. Early on, kings ruled the city-states, but by 500 BC, the power was held by magistrates of the aristocratic class. Ancient Etruria was rich in mineral ores, agricultural resources, and timber; they were a wealthy people. The Etruscans were greatly influenced by the contemporary Greeks but they had their own distinctive character, which in turn influenced the neighbouring Italian peoples, including the Romans. The Etruscans reached the height of their civilization during the sixth century BC. Their decline was caused by the assault on them by the Greeks, the Gauls, and the Romans. They fought with Rome until circa 280 BC, by which time all the Etruscan city sates had lost their independence. By the first century BC, the Etruscans were assimilated into the Roman world. Used with Italy as Production place. Reference: The British Museum

The Etruscan Revival era emerged at the height of the Victorian period following the discovery of jewelry from this ancient Italian civilization in tombs outside of Rome. Reference: Isla Found

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Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. The Romans did not stress her relation to battle and warfare as the Greeks did. From the second century BC onward, the Romans equated her with the Greek goddess Athena. Reference: Wikipedia.

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Cameos have often depicted the Virgin and Child, especially throughout the Roman Catholic religion. Tender images of the Virgin Mary with her son are among the most beloved in Christian art. Even early images from about the 6th century AD depict her gently cradling or supporting a haloed child or infant on her lap. Devotion to Mary in her dual role as the human mother of Jesus and a divine entity reached a peak in the 14th to 16th centuries, creating great demand for depictions of the mother and child. The term Madonna is Italian for “my lady” and was conferred as a title of respect or high rank, but came to be synonymous with the mother of the holy child and also with the physical representation or manifestation of the two. Small works of art depicting this theme were generally objects of personal worship and prayer intended for intimate use in a private setting, usually a home or a small chapel. Larger and more expansive scenes were produced for altars in public churches, often commissioned by a family or guild as an expression of devotion and an outward display of wealth. Over the centuries different themes emerged, but always with the mother and child as central figures in the scene. Reference: The National Gallery of Art

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In Greek mythology, satyrs are deities of the woods and mountains. They are half-human and half-beast; they usually have a goat’s tail, flanks and hooves.  Satyrs can come in other hybrid human/animal forms, as well. According to William Hansen, “Satyrs are two-legged beings having the lower body of a horse and the upper body of a man.” Satyrs emit of hoarse sound, a mix of the neighing of a horse and the bleating of a goat.

In Greek art the satyrs were represented as a man with horse’s ears and tail. However in Roman representations they are portrayed as having the upper body of a man with a goat’s ears, tail, legs and horns.  Reference: Wikipedia

According to Myths and Legends of Greece and Rome, by E M Berens, satyrs were grotesque and repulsive with flat broad noses, pointed ears, and little horns sprouting from their foreheads, a rough shaggy skin and small goats tails.

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