The Little Cameo Museum is my big dream…

What is cameo?

The name derives from the French word " camaheu ", the origin of which is unknown, perhaps it derives from a local name.

If we consult a dictionary we read: " Stone or gem worked in relief ( bas-relief ) with perfect features "

So, with the name "cameo" we can name any gem worked in metallic relief and the various layers of hard stones.

Thanks to the chromatic variety of these stones, suggestive effects of high scenography can be obtained, especially in allegorical compositions.

But the most commonly worked stone is Sardonyx , mostly the Indian one because, thanks to its more compact natural connotation, it allows engravers to develop all their creative flair and inventiveness.

Furthermore, there are also single-coloured stones such as agate and amethyst , whose workmanship is often in relief and others simply engraved. We read in some specialist texts that the amethyst dates back to the time of the Egyptians to whom precious finds are attributed, especially in the form of a scarab , even today in Egypt it is considered an amulet.

But if we want to delve into the historical research of stone engraving we can also go back to prehistory by observing the famous stone graffiti.

But, returning to the cameo we can cite the Hellenic experience, when artists executed fine models of mythological scenes and male figures and sinuous female forms.

The great sculptor and architect Phidias worked with ivory and also excelled in goldsmith art.

Similarly, in Antinochia and perhaps in Alexandria itself, a fervent and refined art of engraving developed, as evidenced by a marvellous sardonyx relic, the “ Farnese Cup ”, which can be admired at the Archaeological Museum of Naples together with a precious collection of engravings on hard stones.

The Roman era was characterised by the use of sardonyx arabica , as evidenced by the findings of the Gemma Augustea and the Cammeo di Francia .

In the Middle Ages, especially in the East, carved gems took on a specific meaning as amulets and talismans. At the same time, still in the East, the production of engraved images of Christian worship developed.

In the 15th century, the art of cameo making was closely linked to the patronage of princes and pontiffs.

In the Baroque era, the art of engraving was practiced above all in Austria thanks to the work of the Milanese Alessandro Masnago.

Then, in the neoclassical era there was a rediscovery of the art of Hellenic, Roman and Renaissance engraving with the revival of models and subjects.

Today, the working of hard stones is the exclusive prerogative of highly skilled goldsmiths-engravers, often characterised by technical refinements, genuine craftsmanship and eclectic taste, but there are few examples of free creation, of fantasy and inventiveness.

The shell cameo

When we talk about shell cameos, we inevitably refer to the city of Torre del Greco , where laboratories and factories have flourished since 1805. Historical accounts tell us that Ferdinand IV of Bourbon granted a certain Paul Martin permission to set up a factory-workshop in Torre del Greco where coral, hard stone and lava stone were manufactured, and the processing of shell cameos was also introduced.

Over time these activities had a substantial increase, until they counted 82 factories in the space of a few years. As evidence of what has been said, there have been findings of works in coral, lava stone, and cameos engraved by unknown artists, which, by subject and execution technique can be dated to the first half of the 19th century.

To tell the truth, there are not many historical documents that testify to the recent historical path of the cameo. Precisely for this reason the “voice of the people” – especially of the elderly – is the most authoritative narrative.

Thus, following this narrated history, we have come to the evidence that the artistic production of this period began with the working of coral and lava stone , subsequently shells, and more precisely the pink one, the sardonyx , the carnelian , the ivory , the mother of pearl , the porcelain and the malachite .

The cameos produced were mounted on wearable objects such as necklaces, sets, pendants and rings and were exported all over the world.

Gradually, Torre del Greco's production spread like wildfire and a monopoly emerged, to the point of feeling the need to establish a school that was capable of ensuring a class of high-level artists and artisans, as well as a high-quality and refined production.

On 23 June 1878, a Royal Decree by Umberto I founded the school for coral working, followed by the school for cameo working in 1886 , where the cameo in particular quickly became a point of reference for the training of new generations of artists.

Today, thanks to the shells imported from the seas by sailors from Torre del Greco and the precious burin , an instrument invented by Antonio Ciminiello in the 16th century , the artist engravers skillfully and artistically create those works of fine workmanship and elegance that can be admired in museums all over the world.