The art of stone carving appeared several millennia ago. Cameos are considered one of the most famous works emerging from the skilled hands of the master. This product made of precious or semi-precious stone, on which a convex image of a mineral of a different color or shade is cut, first appeared in the 4th century BC. e. Many experts consider Alexandria to be the birthplace of such elegant products. There are various points of view regarding the origin of the name "cameo" itself. It could be derived from the Persian word chumahau, Latin camahatus or Italian chama.
At the very beginning of their journey, these miniature products were carved only on multicolor semiprecious stones - jasper and sardonyx. However, over time, in order to perform exquisite cameos, masters began to successfully use topazes and amethysts, emeralds and aquamarines. Typically, a darker material is taken for the background, onto which lighter images are then superimposed. An ideal stone suitable for making cameos is considered agate with its layered, multi-colored structure.
The development of stone-cutting art
Cameos were cut using rotating copper wheels. An abrasive was usually corundum powder or diamond dust. Finishing was carried out with a mixture of hematite powder and olive oil. The carver worked almost blindly. Since the abrasive composition covered a drawing.
Ancient masters of stone carving mastered the techniques of embossed work, but they were used very rarely. These were mainly stone cylinders (seals with a pen) or the reverse side of the sacred scarab beetle. Most often, such work was carried out from solid stone. However, art developed rapidly. Portraits of rulers, Egyptian deities, various ornaments, decorative elements, various decorations are all signs of the increasing popularity of cameos among the rich inhabitants of Alexandria.
Cameos, this is the real art of stone cutting, can be seen in the works of masters of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece. The works of art of those times were characterized by an unusual subtlety of the work, simplicity, rigor and grace.
The history of cameos made the steepest turn in the 17–18 centuries, during the Renaissance. Although the ancient cameo is considered a kind of standard of beauty, the Italian masters managed not only to approach perfection, but also to give impetus to the development of stone-carving art in other countries.
Footage cameos and their practical application
The plot depicted by the master on a cameo influenced the practical application of the product in real life. Almost all aspects of human life are reflected in gems and cameos. For a gift to the bride, items with scenes from Cupid and Psyche were preferable. The plots with Proserpina, abducted from her mother, were more suitable for people in mourning or experiencing any misfortune. The lawyers, the servants of Themis, were presented with items with plots embodying the justice of the gods (for example, the torture of Marcia). The scenes of hostilities were usually carved on cameos intended for warriors. The plots of such products of those times are literature and theater, religion and politics.
However, it cannot be said that gems and cameos were intended only for aesthetic enjoyment. These items also served as amulets that ancient people wore around their neck in the form of a pendant or on their fingers in the form of rings. Very popular were the stamps embedded in the rings, and the rings themselves with carved stones, which it was customary to give as a sign of special location. Often, stone carving art served as an offering to the gods. Often, masters carved simply inscriptions on stones, without any images. These texts could carry a different semantic load: from the formulas of initiation to one name of the owner.
Famous products
The most famous cameos in history were created in Alexandria by Greek craftsmen serving in the Ptolemaic court. The masterpieces of those times include the unique “Gonzag Cameo”. Also, the most outstanding can be attributed to such close to each other products as the "Cameo of Augustus" and "Gemma of Tiberius" (the largest in the world).
Gonzaga Cameo
The product has a fairly large size (15.7 x 11.8 x 3 cm). There are two profiles on the cameo: Ptolemy and Arsinoe. Since 1542, scientists were able to trace the history of the cameo. These are seven changes of owners over 400 years and several intersections of Europe. The penultimate owner of the masterpiece, Josephine Beauharnais, presented the cameo to the Russian Tsar Alexander I as a sign of gratitude for the patronage (he took care of her safety and helped to maintain her good fortune). In 1814, a work of stone-cutting art arrived in Russia and is still stored in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.
The Cameo of Augustus
Dimensions of the composition: 19.05 x 22.86 cm. The cameo consists of two registers. The goddess Venus crowns the emperor Augustus with a laurel wreath (depicted in the center). As for the other characters of the work, the points of view of scientists differ: according to some, these are Roman gods, according to others - real people surrounding the ruler.
"Cameo of Tiberius"
According to Napoleon, this work is the Great French Cameo. Three registers depict with high accuracy 2 dozen figures, among which Tiberius with Libya, sitting on the throne, Germanicus with his mother Anthony. On the upper register among the gods is Emperor Augustus, surrounded by deceased members of his family. On the lower register are the defeated warriors with their women and children. Over the 2000 years of its existence, the cameo was stolen twice, it was sold, presented. Three times a masterpiece left Paris and returned. It is currently in the collection of the Cabinet of Medals.
Famous and little-known, simple and amazingly accurate cameos are a frozen story, an opportunity to look at the ancient world through centuries and millennia, to understand how society developed and became more complicated.