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Victorian 15ct Gold Shell Cameo of a Classical Lady Carved by Pio Siotto

618S
440 Admirers Rare Find
Written by Olly Gerrish

A top quality cameo that was carved by Pio Siotto who was an Italian artist active as a cameo and gem engraver from the 1830s onwards.
He initially studied architecture, and modelling in clay at the Academy of St.Luke in Rome. He then went on to engrave portraits and scenes, in profile and perspective, large and small, on medallions, pins, rings, bracelets.

He was commissioned to engrave a series of medallions representing the Kings of Poland. This collection in shell cameos, was begun in 1860, and completed in 1870. He completed a medallion depicting the Lacoon of the Vatican Palace. he has also made copies of sculpture of Thorvaldsen, Gibson, Canova, and Fedi. He engraved Fedi’s Rape of Polyxena, displayed under the Loggia dei Lanzi, in a cameo. He made a tryptich of sardonyx cameos to celebrate the family of the Queen Margherita of Savoy. Siotto won awards at the Expositions of Rome, Naples, Vienna, Philadelphia, and Melbourne. At Melbourne, he exhibited in a glass exhibition case, the process of cameo engraving from the natural shell to completed carving.

This cameo is an excellent example of his work. It is a carving of a classical lady and the surround is 15ct gold with fine Etruscan Revival gold wirework. It was made circa 1860-1880. It has an added safety chain.

Ollys Pick

If you are looking to buy a top quality cameo by a well known artist then this is the one!

Item Number
618S
Measurements
Height 5.5cm
Width at widest point 5cm
Materials
Date & Origin
Victorian (1839-1901)
English mount/ Italian cameo
Provenance
English mount/ Italian cameo
Hallmarks

Signed Pio Siotti on the reverse of the cameo.

Condition
Very Good
Discovered
3 years ago
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