13
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE BRITISH COLLECTION, LOTS 1 – 15
ITALIAN, 17TH/ 18TH CENTURY
CAMEO WITH A WARRIOR, TRADITIONALLY IDENTIFIED
AS HANNIBAL OR PYRRHUS
stone of
agate, within a French partially enameled brooch mount, circa 1808
PROVENANCE
By tradition, Joséphine Bonaparte, Empress of France (1763- 1814);
Possibly acquired from the Empress Joséphine (or her estate)
by Lord Edward Lascelles, “ Beau Lascelles” (1764-1814);
Thence by descent to his grand-niece Catherine, Mrs Granville carisbrick
Edwin Lloyd-Baker (1841-1890);
Thence by family descent to the present owner
EXHIBITED
as
London, Victoria and Albert Museum, on long term loan
(no.
14 648).
sh ield
Lascelles, “ Beau Lascelles” Ar t
S carisbrick
ho rse),
as
T his exceptionally large cameo follows an ancient prototype
which several post-Classical versions exist.The
subject has
be en associated with a number of classical military leaders,
no tably Hannibal, Pyrrhus and Iphicrates.A
16th-century green
ja sper version is in the Museo Archaeologico, Florence (inv.no.
An
agate intaglio version with a horse engraved on the
was in Marlborough collection (subsequently Walters
Museum, Baltimore, deaccessioned 1958).Boardman,
and Wagner describe it as ‘Renaissance’ (op.cit.,
p.
198, no.
Another
carnelian intaglio version (also with
identified as ‘Pyrrhus (?)’ is
in Royal Collection and
ha s been catalogued by Aschengreen Piacenti and Boardman
‘probably seventeenth century’ (inv.no.
RCIN
65830; op.
ci t., p.
166, no.
Raspe-Tassie
illustrate several version
including the Marlborough gem; op.cit.,
nos.
9599-
9 605).The
present cameo is distinguished by the presence of
Hippocamp, which could suggest that the engraver intended
subject to be naval commander.Themistocles,
who led
Athenians to victory at Salamis, is a worthy contender.
is probable that the present cameo dates to the late 18th
However,
a 17th century dating cannot be disregarded
other examples model which are generally
th ought to be of this date.
LOAN:MET ANON.106-1968)
RELATED LITERATURE
R.
(p robably
a
Raspe and W.
E. Tassie, A Descriptive Catalogue of a General th e
Collection of Ancient and Modern Engraved Gems Cameos th e
as well as Intaglios, London, 1791; K
Aschengreen Piacenti It
and J.
Boardman, Ancient and Modern Gems and Jewels in ce ntury.
the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen, London, 2008; J. gi ven
Boardman, D.
Scarisbrick, C.
Wagner, and E.
Zwierlein-Diehl,
The Marlborough Gems, Oxford, 2009; L.
Pirzio Biroli Stefanelli,
La collezione Paoletti, Stampi in vetro per impronte di intagli e
cammei, Rome, 2013
£ 10,000-15,000
Buyers are liable to pay both the hammer price (as estimated above) and the buyer’s premium together with any applicable taxes and Artist’s Resale Right
36
(which will depend on the individual circumstances).
Refer to the Buying at Auction an d VAT sections at the back of this catalogue for further information.