Arthur L Comer Jr.
This second and expanded edition of Cameos - Timeless Masterpieces of Glyptic Art allows the collector a fresh look at the artistic ability of the artisans who put their sweat and tears into their creations. Unlike the mass-produced machine-made clones found in the marketplace today, each piece presented, unless otherwise noted, represents a time-consuming labor of love in its conception, hand-carving, and mounting. As stated in the first edition, it is not the author’s objective to provide an in-depth study of the history of cameos or their individual values. Values of these unique works of glyptic art are the prices that a willing seller will accept and a motivated buyer is willing to pay. The reader should be mindful that each hand-carved cameo is unique, a one-of-a-kind creation. Although the images may be similar, no two stones, shells or other materials used to carve the finished works of art are identical in nature. A cameo carver requires the skills of an artist and the ability of a sculptor to bring a piece to life in a three-dimensional form. The carver must also have the technical know-how to evaluate the individual qualities of the carving material to best use its unique characteristics in the finished artwork. It takes a Master carver years to develop the expertise needed to render heirloom quality pieces. A collector will easily recognize the work of a Master carver when comparing the attention to details in the renderings of several pieces. The purpose of this pictorial reference book is to inspire the novice collector to search for the absolute best quality cameo he or she is able to afford and to provide an affordable pictorial reference for recognizing vintage and antique cameos. It is the author’s hope that this reference book will enable the collector to make sound educated decisions about purchasing an individual cameo or building a meaningful collection. A quality picture can often portray what cannot be adequately expressed in the written word.
