• Material: Sardonyx  Shell, 9k gold marked.
• Size: 1 6/8" by 1 2/8" - cameo itself is 1 5/8" by 1 1/8".
• Date and Origin: Circa 1860 Italy, mounting is later, 1965, signed by the goldsmith F. & R. on the frame, with symbols of Birmingham. Signed on the back by the artist.
• Conditions:  A minuscule stress line just close to his lifted arm, a minuscule natural hair lineon the other side barely visible when cameo is backlit, mentioned for accuracy.

Museum Quality cameo of an unusual, three-dimensional subject, set in gold as a brooch. Depicted there is a figure of a young person holding in one hand a basket full of fruit, probably apples, and a mask in the other. The mask jumps out three-dimensionally so that depending on the angle of view, either the face or the mask is visible.
The mask expression suggests that it is a tragic mask, and, as we know it from the Greek and Roman mithology, it was one of the attributes of Melpomene, the Muse of the tragic comedy so the depicted subject may be her but Melpomene was a woman and the figure depicted has not any trace of breast, instead the figure is wearing a pelt who can drive me to think that the depicted figure could be a young Hercules since the pelt and the apples are two of his attributes. But the mask? What could be its meaning in this scene? This is an intriguing subject with much mistery in it. The carving is simply fantastic, a three dimensional one that it is just like a sculpture, a subject never seen until now. The round face of the young figure is wonderfully made and crowned by lovely curly hair, look at the expression of his eyes, he seems alive. The mask is another work of art, a bearded face having a tragic expression. Look then at how the basket of fruits is carved and how it protrudes out. This cameo is simply amazing, as for the subject as for the quality of the carving.