The allure of this magnificent cameo proved irresistible to two of the greatest gem collectors of the 18th century: Baron Philipp von Stosch, and the 4th Duke of Marlborough. Carved in tiger's eye with an astonishing fluidity, the gem is datable to late Renaissance, when the art of virtuoso hardstone carving was at its zenith.

The stone used for the present cameo is commonly known as ‘tiger’s eye’, in reference to its chatoyancy resembling the iris of a feline. Uniquely suited to the subject of a lion’s head, the stone’s natural properties are maximised to mesmeric effect here, evoking both the iridescence of a lion’s eyes, and the shimmering golden hue of his fur.

Depicting a lion’s head, the present gem is distinguished by the remarkable quality of its carving. The beautifully fluid handling of the stone indicates the hand of a highly accomplished gem engraver. This carving technique, as well as the mask-like appearance of the lion, is reminiscent of late 16th-century works from the Miseroni family, whose members produced lapidary carvings of the finest calibre in both Milan and Rudolf II’s court in Prague. A similar surface treatment and smooth modulation of facial features, with a strongly arched knotted brow, is seen in the grotesque mascaron at the centre of a chalcedony bowl by Gasparo Miseroni in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (Distelberger, op. cit., no. 63). The eyes and nose of the lion find an even closer stylistic comparison in the virtuoso mascaron decorating a ewer by Ottavio Miseroni, dated to around 1590-1600 (ibid., no. 143).

Most compelling, however, is the existence of a closely related, hitherto unpublished cameo in the collection of the Dukes of Devonshire at Chatsworth (fig. 1). Showing a mascaron with human features, the Devonshire gem corresponds to the present cameo in both size and material. Stylistically it is so close as to suggest that both gems were carved by the same hand, and perhaps even as part of the same commission. An affinity with works by the Miseroni workshops is equally evident in the Devonshire cameo, whose angular grimacing lips and nose closely resemble those of the above-mentioned mascarons. An origin among the immediate orbit of the Miseroni in either Milan or Prague is therefore likely for both gems. That both cameos were acquired by eminent English gem collectors is a testament to their virtuosity and rarity.

The likelihood that the present cameo was created within a princely environment around 1600 is substantiated by its subject. With their ancient connotations of majesty and virility, lions were a favoured iconography among late Renaissance rulers. The Dukes of Bavaria who, like the Holy Roman Emperors, employed Italian-trained artists at their court around 1600, made lion imagery ubiquitous in their sculptural commissions, which included the famous bronze lions outside the Munich Residence by Hubert Gerhard (c. 1545/50-1620) and Carlo di Cesare del Palagio (1538-1598). The lion masks by Hubert Gerhard and Hans Krumpper (c. 1570-1634) that adorned princely coats of arms and fountains provide further stylistic references for the present cameo’s stylised, and somewhat humanised depiction of the animal (see Eikelmann, op. cit., pp. 331 and 358). Another fascinating comparison for the lion motif on the present cameo is found in a design for a lion mask in the Victoria and Albert Museum (inv. no. E.634-1922, fig. 2). Its inscription 'Gio Battista Mantuano' indicates the possible authorship of either Giovanni Battista Scultori (1503-1575) or Giovanni Battista Bertani (1516-1576), both of whom trained with Giulio Romano in Mantua and no doubt had links to gem engravers there. The drawing's closely analogous mode of depicting the animal further underscores a late Renaissance dating for the present jewel, and a likely origin in northern Italy.

The lion cameo may have held a particular appeal to George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough because of the prominence of the heraldic lion in the Marlborough arms. Sold and dispersed in the late 19th century, the fabled Marlborough Gems included works formerly owned by the Gonzaga, as well as the collection of Lord Bessborough. The present gem however was acquired by the Duke from ‘a French gentleman’. Prior to this, it was owned by Johann Lorenz Natter, one of the 18th century’s most accomplished gem engravers, who illustrated the cameo in his album of drawings, the Museum Britannicum, with the commentary ‘antiq tres beau’ (fig. 3).

As noted by Natter, the gem’s first known owner was Baron Philipp von Stosch (fig. 4), another illustrious figure in the history of gem collecting. Born in Prussia but based in Rome and later in Florence, Stosch rose to prominence as one of the foremost collectors, dealers and scholars of engraved gems. Famous not only for his expertise but for his eccentric character, Stosch kept a pet owl in his home and was referred to by Horace Walpole as ‘Cyclops the Antiquarian’ (because of his permanent monocle) and ‘a man of most infamous character in every respect’ (Hansson, op. cit., p. 14). One of many fanciful anecdotes surrounding Stosch was that during a group visit to Versailles, he allegedly became so enamoured with a gem in the royal collection that he tried to steal it by swallowing it. Despite his controversial temperament, the importance of Stosch's antiquarian efforts is undisputed. Specialising in the distinction between genuine ancient gems and their modern forgeries, Stosch published his magnum opus, Gemmae antiquae caelatae, in 1724, which paved the way for later publications in this field. His own collection was the largest and most diverse of its time, comprising around 3,500 original gems and pastes, as well as more than 28,000 impressions. After his death, part of the collection was published by none other than J. J. Winckelmann, and much of it acquired for the Prussian state by Frederick the Great. Stosch began a professional relationship with Lorenz Natter in the 1730s, when the young gem engraver travelled to Florence. The Baron encouraged Natter to perfect the art of imitating ancient gems, and he employed him to produce copies of gems in his own collection. It is tempting to propose that the lion cameo may have passed into Natter's possession as a gift from his great mentor. Having captivated generations of gem enthusiasts in history, this exceptional gem continues to mesmerise today.

RELATED LITERATURE
A. De Boodt, Le parfait Joaillier, ou Histoire des pierreries..., Lyon, 1644, pp. 290-292; R. Distelberger, Die Kunst des Steinschnitts: Prunkgefässe, Kameen und Commessi aus der Kunstkammer, exh. cat. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, 2002; U. R. Hansson, '"Ma passion… ma folie dominante": Stosch, Winckelmann, and the Allure of the Engraved Gems of the Ancients', in MDCCC 1800, vol. 3, 2014, pp. 13-33; R. Eikelmann (ed.), Bella Figura: Europäische Bronzekunst in Süddeutschland um 1600, exh. cat. Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich, 2015