Cupid as a Liontamer

 

Museum Quality Cameo carved on a turquoise plaque, depicting Cupid as Liontamer. The subject  is after a sculpture of Thorvaldsen of 1828. It is still in its original box. There are 3 fissurations on the stone, the cameo is backed with glass. The spots you can see on the stone are natural spots of the turquoise. I think that, because of those fissurations, the first owner thought to protect it thinking that it could break, so he had it backed with glass. I can't be sure of this just because I can't remove the glass and have a better look at those fissurations. Anyway they don't detract anything to the beauty of the cameo or from its value. This a more than museum quality cameo, a very desirable piece for any collector. .